Ascending Darkness Faltering Light
by AlbusSeverusGryffindor
Summary: AU 6th year. Updated the rating to M. Harry was missing for over four months, held captive by Voldemort. Now he must find the will to fight again and the path back to himself before darkness decends in two eras cloaking everything in shadow
1. Rescue

**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**

by AlbusSeverus

**Summary: **AU sixth year: Harry Potter had been missing for four months, two weeks and one day leaving the wizarding world in shock and fear. Captured by his enemies and tortured passed all reason he will find strength he never knew he possessed, friends in unexpected places and the secret of the 'power the Dark Lord knows not'. Can three former enemies and the Founders help him to regain what he lost, lead him back to himself and restore his fighting spirit before Voldemort takes over completely.

**Author's Note: **Here's a new story from me. The plot just sort of hit me over the head the other night. Hope you enjoy it. I will still be working on Beyond the Gathering Storm so don't worry. As normal, I do not own anything but the plot of this story. JKR owns the rest.

**Part One: Rescue**

_Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign / Instead there's only silence. / Can't you hear my screams...?_

_**Somewhere- Within Temptation**_

A cold wind blew through the barred window, stirring the hair of the chained prisoner below it. A pale, waxing moon shown through the small window set high on the wall behind him. Ordinarily, the prisoner would have been glad for a little light in his otherwise dark existence but he was no longer lucid enough to notice. The chains made a feeble rattling noise as the prisoner attempted to shift away from the cold draft even in his unconscious state. All to soon he began to shiver uncontrollably at the combination of the current state of his clothing, the cold air coming in from the barred window and the slimy, cold stone of the wall he was chained to.

For a brief moment dull, emerald green eyes opened and seemed to take in their surroundings though the prisoner had long ago lost the power of sight and saw only darkness. The eyelids dropped closed again as if took to much strength for the boy to hold them open any longer. The prisoner continued to shiver in the damp, chill air and tried in vain to think of a way to warm himself but his thoughts soon scattered, his mind to broken to remember even his name. He couldn't even remember why he was here or what he'd done that was bad enough to warrant such painful and endless torture. He wasn't even sure of how long he'd been held here against his will or even where he was. He knew only one thing and he held to this thought desperately for it was the only thing keeping him alive. He must survive. He knew this even though he could not remember exactly why. He was important to someone, to some cause even if he couldn't remember anymore. He only knew he had to live, it was vital, even if he must endure the Hell he was currently in.

He held stubbornly to this last lucid thought, this last piece of his soul and he would not relinquish it no matter what 'they' tried to do to him. He had survived an eternity of torture because he still held on to this last scrap of his past, of the time before his imprisonment. It burned within him like a beacon and he followed it when all else seemed lost in the darkness that his life had become. He had nothing else left of himself and he knew that if he lost this last piece of his soul then he would surely submit to his torturers and thus die. He could feel death hovering nearby waiting for that day. He could feel it seeping into his heart and mind like a poison but he refused to let it end like this. He was not going to submit to the 'Other'. If he was to die he was going to do so on his own terms and he would go down fighting.

The dull green eyes snapped open again and the prisoner's mouth opened in a silent scream of agony, his voice having long ago been broken. White hot pain seared through his body and head, burning him from within and making all thought impossible. He could feel the 'Other's' mind touch his, forcing rapport with the monster in a violent and brutal mind rape that signaled the beginning of his torture for the night. He could hear the sibilant whisper, slithering through his mind, even has he could hear the clank of keys that signaled the return of his physical tormentors and he began to tremble violently.

:: Today you will submit to me. Your power will become mine. It does you no good to resist or refuse any longer. You body and will grow weaker by the day. Your so called friends have abandoned you and have even called off the search for you. No one is willing to come to your rescue this time. Surrender to me and let my darkness claim you and you may live. Refuse and... :: the cold voice made it clear what would happen and how painful it would be for him if he continued in his refusal to submit.

:: Never... :: The thought had escaped his mind before he was conscious of it being there. :: will...never... submit... ::

:: So be it. You will regret your decision. :: The burning voice grew silent though he could still feel the evil burning presence within his mind as the two masked and hooded men released him from his chains and dragged him deeper into the dungeon.

:: You know you deserve to be punished. :: the cold voice spoke again so softly that the prisoner was unsure whether he'd even heard it. For a brief moment he could feel his mind clear as the words echoed inside his head with a familiarity that suggested he had heard them before though the voice had been different. He felt his right hand tingle unexpectedly and felt a sick swoop of anger in his heart. His lucid moment was gone nearly as fast as it had come as a haze of pain washed over him. The day's torture had begun and his last coherent thought before the pain was increased was 'I must live.'

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Sixteen year old Harry James Potter had been missing for four months, two weeks, and one day and the wizarding world was in utter chaos. Their only hope to defeat Voldemort: the Child of Prophecy, the 'Chosen One', the one who had survived the Killing Curse as a baby was captured by the very people they had mistakenly believed to be gone. Voldemort and his Death Eaters had taken him from the Hogwarts Express at the very point that the dementors had attacked it several years previous in their search for Sirius Black. They had threatened to kill everyone aboard one at a time if he would not surrender himself to them at once and they had held a carload of first years as hostages knowing that Harry would not allow for anyone else to be hurt or killed on his account. He'd taken one last look at his friends and, with a sad sort of smile, he'd left their compartment and allowed himself to be the ransom for all their lives. They'd never seen anything so brave in their lives not even the events that had occured within the Department of Mysteries a few days prior to that. The first years that had been held hostage had commented on Harry's steadfast bravery when he had arrived in their car and it was burned into their memories. He'd stood tall before the Death Eaters and demanded they release the hostages now that he was here and there seemed to have been a power radiating from him that felt like warm sunlight. The Death Eater nearest him had grabbed him roughly by the hair but Harry had remained unafraid and they had vanished. His friends last image of him, of his pale determined face, his glowing emerald eyes and that sad smile, was burned into their minds forever. He'd left them without saying a word and without his wand, which now rested in the center of Dumbledore's desk.

Dumbledore stared at the holly and phoenix wand for a moment and sighed heavily. Four and half months... it seemed like an eternity to him and the others. At first both himself and the Order of the Phoenix had thought it would be easy to find and rescue him but now after six failed rescue attempts he could feel his hope dwindling. With every day that passed rescuing Harry became less and less likely. Every day there seemed to be news of attacks on the populace and with each defeat that Voldemort's forces handed the forces of Light in open battle people's belief in their cause faltered. Was there any reason to continue to fight? Hadn't Voldemort already proven his strength and superiority when he'd take the 'Chosen One' prisoner four months ago? What was the point of continuing to stand against him? Maybe they should just surrender before anyone else was killed or taken prisoner. But what of Harry then? He would never have given up hope so easily and would be ashamed that they had even concidered surrender as an option.

Dumbledore stared at the wand on his desk, willing it to give him a sign that there was reason to hope, that there was a chance that Harry still lived, but it lay there silent and unmoving. His frown deepened and he got up to resume his interrupted pacing. The portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses of Hogwarts watched him silently, not knowing what other advice they could give him. Their eyes moved as he paced from one side of the room to the other several times and the room seemed to tense as of expecting an explosion to occur. The power radiating off Dumbledore was vast and tinged with sorrow and anger. A few of the portraits looked at one another with concern. The war was beginning to take it's toll on the aged Headmaster and they wondered if he would even survive it.

He stopped his pacing and looked out the window that overlooked the grounds of the school not really seeing anything beyond it, his thoughts turned inward. Everything was his fault. He should have seen to Harry's protection now that Voldemort was moving in the open again. He knew how badly Voldemort wanted to know the full contents of the Prophecy and also how badly he wanted to remove the only one who might have powers that rivaled his own. He knew how powerful Harry was even though his full powers had yet to manifest and would not do so until his seventeenth year. He should have known how vulnerable Harry was after the events in the Department of Mysteries and how vunerable that made him to the types of attack favored by Voldemort and his minions. He should have made sure the Hogwarts Express had the proper wards and protections on it. Why hadn't he done something more to ensure not only the boy's safety as he returned home for the summer but everyone else's? If he had done only that then Harry would not have been put in such a position to begin with. Maybe he should have even allowed the Weasleys to adopt Harry years ago upon the murders of his parents. A blood adoption would have insured the boy's safety far better than his blood wards would have. Why had he not...

A knock on the door brought him out of his self-chastisement. He stared at it for a moment in confusion. " Come."

Severus Snape limped into the room, closing the door with a snap. His dark eyes took in everything from the portraits, to the holly wand on the Headmaster's desk, to the man himself in one sweeping movement. Neither his face nor his eyes gave a hint of the news that had sent him practically running to the Headmaster's office in the middle of class time. He had worked long and hard to get this important information at great risk to his own life. Just this morning Draco Malfoy had returned with confirmation that the information he'd received through his various contacts was in fact more than rumor. Draco had also secured the information they were most desirous of obtaining from a source placed highly within the ranks of Voldemort's inner circle. Snape felt the first stirrings of hope blossom in his heart at the news he was about to relay to Dumbledore. Maybe now they would be able to turn the tide of war in their favor. Dumbledore looked at the Potions Master closely, trying to learn what type of news the former Death Eater had for him but as always Snape's mask made it impossible to read the man or to learn anything he did not want revealed.

"Headmaster, we have found him." Snape said this without preamble or malice and the words had an instant affect on Dumbledore.

For a moment he felt his heart freeze in his chest even as the hope he's though lost resurfaced with a vengeance. "Is he...?"

"Alive? Yes, but only just. In all honesty I am surprised he has been able to survive in the Dark Lord's company this long. I have never known the Dark Lord to allow prisoners to remain this long with him. I must warn you that the situation is most likely not a good one for Potter. I cannot guarantee there will be anything left to save or that he can even be healed from his captivity." It pained him to say it but it was nothing less than the truth and he knew honesty was the best policy in this instance.

Dumbledore's face paled and he nodded in understanding. "I will call the Order together but I leave the rescue to you and yours. We have lost so many that I cannot spare the few we have even for this. You are the best suited for this task. Try and sneak in and free him. Take him to the safe house in Devonshire and wait for me there. No contact is to be attempted once you have rescued him. I will come to the house in three days time." He gave Snape a deadly serious look and his voice dropped into a whisper."If things go badly do not attempt to fight. If it becomes necessary you know what you must do. I cannot bare the thought of him being punished again for another failed attempt at his rescue. Do I have your word on this Severus? "

Snape nodded sharply. "It would be better for him and I will do so. I will free him even if it is by death. He shall suffer no longer."

He turned a started to leave, his hand on the doorknob but then he turned to Dumbledore with a grave expression on his face. "I will protect him with my life. I made an Unbreakable Vow with Lily and then you. I will not break either of those. He is Lily's child and because of that I must protect him. I will do everything in my power to free him, you have my word as my bond. "

"I know you will, Severus. Good luck and may Merlin guard you all. " Snape was gone in a flurry of swirling robes. He gathered his group together in his office and together the three men headed for the apparition point outside the Hogwarts wards. They had very little time and their destination was many day away even by apparition.

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A cold wind swept through the cell again but the prisoner paid no attention to it or the chill it brought in with it. His eyes were squeezed tight shut, tears streaming from them and his body still twitching with the after effects of the Crutiatus Curse that had been set on him for half an hour without pause. 'Have to live. Have to survive. Musn't surrender.' These thoughts slide through his battered mind like a mantra but he was unsure of whether he could survive even one more day like this one. The torture had been so intense and the pain of it so all encompassing that he'd felt his fragile mind nearly shatter under the mental, physical and verbal assault. His strength was beginning to fail and his will was suffering for it. His thoughts seemed to scattered to ever collect in any semblance of order again and he had blank spaces of time now were he couldn't remember what he had been doing or what may have been done to him. When he had come back to himself in the middle of the torture session, he'd found his hands and face spattered with the warmth of blood not his own. The hissing words the 'Other' had spoken to him a few short hours ago still echoed in his mind: "See how easy it is to kill. You even seemed to enjoy it.There's innocent blood on your hands now and it can never be washed away. You can never be who you once were. You can never go back. "

He'd felt his mind splinter farther and had sat in the middle of the room rocking back and forth staring blankly had his bloodstained hands even through he could no longer see them. He had killed, spilled innocent blood. They had taken control of him and made him kill. Now he was no better than they were. He was merely their puppet to control and use. He felt revulsion and shame coarse through him as well as an intense desire to kill himself and take as many of them with him as he could. He had shaken his head in denial as the masked men laughed and began their torture anew.

Tears continued to fall, leaving tracks in the blood and grim that coated his face. He opened his mouth and let out a long, silent scream of anger and pain. His chains rattled loudly as he flailed about in his fury. After a few minutes his limited strength gave out and he hung limply in the chains again, tears still falling from his dull green eyes longing for death to take him. After a time even the tears faded into nothing, leaving him numb.

The nearly complete silence of the cell engulfed him and a chill that had nothing to do with the coldness of the cell enveloped him. They'd placed those silent, faceless guards around his cell once more. He shivered violently again as all thought and memory faded in the presence of the power the guards wielded. He could hear a woman screaming then saw a man fall through a ragged veil in a dark room and his heart constricted. There was nothing but the numbing cold that seemed to freeze his mind and no sound but the faint rattling breath of the creatures punctuated by a faint dripping sound as blood from fresh wounds on his back, shoulder and left arm spattered the floor below where he was chained. His head fell limply to one side and he made no other move or sound for a long time. He never made a single movement even when the cell door opened again and someone crept inside.

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Snape lead the two hooded and masked men down into the depths of the dungeon with trepidation. No one who was destined for these cells ever survived for long and his concern for the boy mounted. He must be nearly broken to have been placed here. Would he even be sane if they managed to free him from this place? Four months and now three weeks in the hands of the Dark Lord...What chance was there that he was even alive after today's round of torture? Snape eyed the other two men and saw his concern mirrored in their eyes.

"I can sense him...it's faint but he's alive. " The shorter of the two men had a hand on his forehead and he grimaced slightly. "His thoughts are...jumbled...very unclear. We need to hurry. I don't think he'll survive another day here."

Snape nodded and the three of them fanned out to begin their search, the short man in the lead. All to soon they felt the touch of several Dementors congregating in front of one cell and the short man moved behind the other two wizards as soon as he felt the familiar touch, though being a muggle he could not see them. The two wizards pulled out their wands and two silvery Patronuses shot from them, lighting the otherwise murky corridor in a silver glow. The doe and the fox drove the Dementors away from the cell door and down the corridor holding them there as the three men made their way rapidly down the hall. The doe looked back at Snape and nodded while the short man put his hand on the door sensing who was inside it. he gave the Potions Master a sharp nod to indicate that the prisoner was alone in his cell at the moment.

"Draco..." Draco Malfoy nodded and tapped the lock in a complex pattern known only to members of Voldemort's inner circle. He'd managed to get both this combination and the exact location of Harry's cell from his own father when he'd Imperiused him and forced him to reveal them. Only the highest level Death Eaters could open this cell without the key at any time they felt they wanted private sport with Harry or so his father had told him. He'd been sick when he discovered what was meant by 'private sport' and vowed vengeance on anyone who had hurt Harry in that way. He was going make them pay for hurting him. The lock clicked open and Snape pushed open the cell door as quietly as he could before sliding inside the room and shutting the door behind them.

The stench that assailed them reminded Snape of a garbage dump mixed with a murder scene. The three of them gagged and felt sickness almost overcome them but they remained in the room and Draco tapped the lock again so that it locked. Briefly he wondered what the Death Eaters and Voldemort would make of that and he grinned. They turned as one to approach the prisoner chained to the wall on the room's far side. Snape and Draco lite their wands and Harry moaned softly, his eyelids flickering for a moment but he did not wake. There was an audible gasp behind them and they turned to look at their wide eyed companion.

"Bastards!" Dudley Dursley's voice and body shook with pent up rage and the other two could feel his powers reacting to the sudden surge of rage.

"Steady, Dursley. Your anger will not help your cousin and could very well kill him." snapped Snape coldly.

Dudley made himself calm down though it took all of his powers of control to do so and he grimaced as he looked at Harry. He'd never seen anyone who looked as bad as Harry did who was still alive. Not even his own mother and father had looked that bad when the Death Eaters were through with them. Dudley knew he was lucky to be alive himself and that he would be dead if his latent powers had not chosen that precise moment to manifest themselves. Dudley was not a normal wizard as his powers were those of the mind rather than magic but he'd chosen to ally himself with the wizards he'd once despised because his cousin had once saved him even though he didn't deserve to be saved. Harry was the wizarding world's only hope for defeating Voldiethingy and he was going to do whatever he could to help his cousin do so. Looking at Harry now though, Dudley wondered if there was any chance for them. Would he even be strong enough or even willingly to fight? Had he already given up hope? No, Harry would not have given up so easily. The fate of both of his worlds were at stake. He would not give up on it so Dudley would not.

Snape and Draco had seen plenty in the roles as the Order's spies within the Death Eater ranks but even that had not prepared them for the condition of Harry's body nor the various tortures that had been inflicted on him. Harry's bruised and battered body was oozing blood from about a dozen different wounds. There were infected wounds all over his body and the marks of various dark curses covered him from neck to ankles. He clearly had several broken bones and more that had started to knit incorrectly. He was covered in dried blood, puss, dirt and other less than savory fluids. He was clearly running a dangerously high fever by the redness of his cheeks where there was no blood or dirt on his face and by the shivering his body was doing. His clothing was in tatters and barely covered him at all. He hung limply in the chains, so limply that Draco was sure he was already dead but a quick diagnostic spell proved him to be alive though he was a hairs breath from dying. The spell also told them that he was fighting off several infections and that he had several internal injures in addition to suffering a severe and continued power drain on his magical core. His mental shielding was completely gone and the few thoughts Snape could pick up seemed disjointed and unfocused.

"Shit." Draco said softly as he checked the spells again and turned to Snape.

"I quite agree."

Dudley's head whipped around as he sensed several Death Eaters headed their way and he made a frantic motion with his hand. "We need to leave now!"

Draco leapt into action at once and threw a potion bottle at the stone wall behind him. The entire wall where the potion struck melted before their eyes. Snape unlocked the chains holding Harry in place with a wave of his wand and Dudley caught the limp form of his cousin as he fell, trying to be as gentle as possible with him. Harry moaned very faintly and his breathing became labored but he still did not wake.

"Come. " Snape lead the other two out into the foggy night where they turned on the spot and vanished without a trace leaving behind nothing to mark their passage except for the escape of the prisoner from a seemingly locked room. Harry, though he was unaware of it, was safe in the hands of friends once more.


	2. Awakenings

**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**

By AlbusSeverusGryffindor

**Author's note: **I don't own anything in the Harry Potter realm. They belong to JKR and Warner Brothers. I merely own the plot line. Enjoy.

_**Part Two: Awakenings**_

_Winter has come for me. Can't carry on...__**Swan Song- Within Temptation**_

The next three days were some of the most difficult Snape had dealt with in his life. The only other time he had to compare this to was those days during the First War after which the Potters had been murdered now almost fifteen years past. At that time he'd been nearly overwhelmed by the combination of anger, grief, guilt and sorrow at the news of their deaths, particularly Lily's, and had run to Dumbledore to spill his tears and alleviate some of his anger. He knew he was to blame for the death of the only woman he had ever loved as well as her husband. He knew it was his fault their son was now an orphan with the weight of a Prophecy on his shoulders. That damned Prophecy...If only he'd never heard Twelawny's prediction. If only he had never repeated even a part of it as he had to his Master, then maybe Harry's parents would still be alive. If only he been more confident in his ability to lie to the Dark Lord, which had miraculously worked in the past then perhaps he would have kept silent instead of blabbing to him like some gossiping chit of a girl. But all that lay in the past now and could never be changed.

Now her son, who he'd swore to protect on the night his parents were killed, lay in the next room gravely injured, fighting for his very life and again he was left helpless unable to do anything about it. He hated that feeling, that utter and completely helplessness that left him with an inability to concentrate on even the smallest thing. He heard a strangled cry from Harry that was abruptly cut off and knew that the Healers were still at work, trying desperately to save the young man's life as he hovered mere inches from death. They had already almost lost him twice in the last several hours and their muffled 'we're losing him' had frozen Snape's heart with fear. He could not lose the only part of Lily left on this earth. Snape had never been a praying man but he prayed to anyone who would listen to spare the life of the young man laying in the next room. They needed him to survive: Their world depended upon it.

When they had first arrived at the Devonshire safe house they were met by the Medi-Wizard and his two Healer-assistants who were in residence on the property at all times. Healer McDohl was a tall, thin, dark -haired man with snapping brown eyes and a booming voice. He and the other two Healers, Wilson and Garnett were bonded to the Order and this particular safe house so Snape knew they would not betray them. The Healers had met them at the front door, had taken one look at Harry who lay shivering in Dudley's arms despite the warm blanket they had wrapped him in and had immediately carried him off to the infirmary leaving the rest of them standing on the doorstep in confusion. After running some diagnostic spells and other scans McDohl had returned to them with a long roll of parchment detailing every injury of Harry's as well as an even longer list of spells, hexs, and curses that had been used on him during his captivity.

The list of injuries alone had caused Snape to cringe in sympathy but it was the spell list that caused him to pale and his eyes to widen in surprise. Never had he known anyone to have survived this particular combination of spells before over such a prolonged period. Not one of the prisoners of the Dark Lord he'd ever dealt with, not one of the Death Eaters charged with betrayal of their Master and tortured until death took them. To the best of his knowledge no one had ever survived such a lengthy stay within the confines of the Dark Lord's dungeons before. It seemed yet again that rules of logic did not apply to Harry Potter and that he once again had defied the Dark Lord's wishes for a fifth time by refusing to die when others would have. The boy was stubborn, Snape would give him that but that stubbornness was not a wise thing when faced with daily torture sessions at the hands of a madman and his equally mad followers. It was especially not wise when that same madman wanted you dead and had spent years trying to kill you.

"There is no guarantee he will survive any of the healings we will do and we cannot be sure that he will even be able to speak, walk or even awaken again. We will do all we can to try and save his life but..."

"Albus has given me the authority to act as Potter's guardian for the time being since both his parents and legal guardians have fallen to the Dark Lord. Do whatever is necessary." He felt a flash of cold fear but refused to show it.

McDohl had left and he and the others sequestered themselves in the infirmary to begin their work. Ten hours later it appeared they were still at it. Snape paced the room with air of a caged animal and jerked reflexively when another muffled cry reached his ears. He shivered and continued pacing in agitation unable to even sit still for a moment. Dudley lay sprawled out on the couch, his eyes shut and his forehead wrinkled in concentration as he fought to maintain the shield around his mind in the face of his cousin's intense pain. He was having only moderate success at this since he was still to new in his powers and grimaced occasionally when something was able to slip through. Draco sat in front of the fire, his pale pointed face paler than usual and his grey eyes never leaving the flickering flames. As much as he had hated Potter he would never have wished any of this on him. All three of them were silent not wanting to voice the thought they were all thinking: " What if Harry died?" Their silence was like a living, breathing entity and it weighed down the room as they waited for news of his condition.

Twenty minutes later one of the other Healers, Wilson, returned. His dark face was graver then McDohl's had been and his strange blue eyes seemed to carry several warring emotions within them. There was nothing more they could do for the boy and now it was all up to him. If he survived the night then chances were good that he would recover. If he didn't then the wizarding world would mourn and they would be left without hope.

"We have done all we can for today. If we do anything more young Mr. Potter's body might not be able to handle the stain in it's weakened state. As it is his heart stopped again and we had to Enervate him multiple times before it would restart again. Now it seems he had slipped into a coma."

"Will he wake from it do you think?" Draco's voice sounded as if it was coming from far away.

"We believe so but we cannot be certain. His body had been injured to the point of death and sometimes in that situation the mind shuts down so as to facilitate healing. However there could be something more to the coma than this. We can't be sure. "

"Will he recover...I mean will his body heal?" Dudley's voice sounded strained and as if the boy was in pain himself. Snape looked over at him and saw pain flicker across his features indicating that both Dudley and Harry were sharing pain at the moment.

Wilson's eyes turned graver still. "We are not sure. He has sustained several severe injures that have remained untreated for weeks or even months which may leave him crippled. His body's defenses are weak or non-existent and he has lost alot of blood. Even at full strength one would be hard pressed to be dealing with all the injuries Mr. Potter has and that's just the physical ones. However much will depend on Mr. Potter himself. Given time and the right motivation he may make a complete recovery. What concerns us the most is his mental state after his captivity."

Snape looked up sharply at Wilson and both boys turned to give the healer their undivided attention. There were going to be scars as a result of his captivity. They all knew this and were prepared for almost anything from nightmare replays of it to a total and irreversible mental breakdown. Four months in the hands of the Dark Lord and his followers will have changed Harry. They just hoped that enough of the original remained to give him a basis to recover from.

"We have not been able to determine is mental state as yet but all the signs do not look good. In addition to dealing with a person who has been held captive for a prolonged period, there may be some brain damage to deal with from both his heart stopping three times and from prolonged exposer to the Cruciatus Curse. Until he awakens we cannot ignore these possibilities but neither can we accertain the full extent of the damage."

The room was completely silent for several moments as they digested this new information. After a few minutes Healer Wilson cleared his throat to get their attention again and three pairs of eyes looked up at him.

"There's more?" Snape's voice was weary and Wilson nodded.

"There is one more thing you need to know. Mr. Potter seems to have a cursed wound in addition to everything else."

Snape jumped out of the chair he had unceremoniously fallen into at the mention of Harry's possible mental state while both Dudley and Draco merely looked confused. Snape's heart thudded in his chest and he found himself wishing he'd not heard the words the Healer spoke. Cursed wounds were among the most difficult to cure, they almost always carried a taint from the curse used that remained in the wound long after it was 'healed' and normally they were wounds that tended not to heal correctly or completely.

"What sort of curse?" Snape's voice was devoid of any emotion now and he eyed the Healer as if he were some kind of potion ingredient that he was about to cut up and use.

"We're not exactly sure but it registers as a dark curse of extreme power. We were actually wondering if you would mind taking a look at it. It's a bit beyond any of our expertise."

Snape nodded sharply and gave the boys the sort of look that clearly said 'stay here'. He followed the Healer back to the infirmary, his heart beating loudly in his chest. He already suspected what the curse might be and if he was correct in his assumption then they would be in even more trouble than he first thought.

The room they entered was about half the size of the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts but otherwise it looked very similar. Snape glanced around and quickly spotted Harry laying in a bed at the end of the ward. What he saw shocked and dismayed him, causing him to stop in his tracks. He could see the curse hovering like a harbinger of doom over the boy's left arm even from this distance. It seemed to encase his wounded arm in a foul and sickly green mist which would prevent any healing spells from reaching the wound beneath. The wound itself would remain open and in danger of infection until either the Final Seal was applied or the curse was lifted.

"I take it by your reaction that you recognize this?" Healer McDohl said.

"It is the 'Foramen' the first stage of the curse the Dark Lord uses to mark his followers." Snape said very softly, looking closer at Harry to see if he had any other signs of the curse upon him relieved to see that he had none. The curse had not yet made made its way throughout his magic so it had not yet attained complete control over him though it looked to have broken through his defense against the Imperius Curse completely destroying it.

His dark hair and the scar on his forehead stood out in sharp contrast to the extreme pallor of his gaunt face. His eyes were closed but they seemed to be shifting rapidly under the closed eyelids while his forehead was bathed in sweat caused by his dangerously high fever. It was clear to Snape that he was not having a restful sleep. His right hand was clenching and unclenching the blanket beneath it while air escaped his slightly open mouth in a way that suggested that if he could have done so he would have been moaning in pain. Snape could see the diagnostic spells that were monitoring his vital signs, heart rate, healing rate, magical core recovery and brain activity hovering a few inches away from him. He stared at them silently for several moments noting that everything looked bad. Then he looked down at Harry's left arm. Through the green mist of the 'Foramen' he could see a jagged cut that ran down the length of the boy's forearm and noticed it was not in the shape of a skull but rather a lightening bolt similar to the scar on Harry's forehead.

:: It was to be a special Mark that Harry would have received then and not just a normal Dark Mark. Interesting. :: Snape thought to himself as he examined the curse and wound more closely.

He placed a hand over both the curse and wound and muttered a few words. The curse reacted to the spell by flaring a bright green for a few moments and the wound itself glowed a sickly purple. He frowned a moment at the unusual color then a list very much like the Healer's list of injures and spells unrolled in the air in front of him. His frown deepened at the number of spells and ingredients that had been a part of the Ritual of Opening. He'd never seen such a combination before and it would take him days if not weeks to come up with an antidote for the poison that was running through Harry's system not to mention breaking the curse itself. At least the poison was just one designed to control not to kill so there was time.

"Let me deal with this. It is somewhat out of your expertise. In addition to the curse itself the wound is poisoned, not fatally so but there are only a few methods that will allow the wound to heal properly."

Wilson nodded and then moved away from the two to give Snape a little more privacy. Snape looked down at Harry's pale strained face a moment and watched as a magical version of a muggle IV slowly dripped various fluids into Harry's system. A detached part of his mind noticed they were giving him a blood replenisher, a strength potion, two different types of healing potions, a pain reducer and a nutrition potion. Harry looked fragile and much to thin as he lay there on the bed and Snape felt a pain in his chest at the thought of what Harry must have gone through at the hands of the Dark Lord.

"I made a promise to your mother, Harry. I promised that I would protect you from the darkness that has targeted you since birth. I failed to keep that promise so I will make a new one. I will help you through this. I will help you to heal and I will find a way to free you from his control completely so that you can finish the task you were born for."

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On the third day of their stay at the safe house Dumbledore appeared at the front door, his face grave and his normally merry blue eyes lacking their twinkle. Dudley was the one who answered the Headmaster's knock as the others were busy: Snape was working on a potion that would hopefully allow them to break the curse and Draco was sitting with Harry to give the Healers a much needed bit of rest after the harrowing last two days.

"Ah, Dudley. Good to see you again, my boy." Dumbledore smiled briefly at Harry's cousin.

"Good to see you too, sir. I never got to thank you for helping me when my powers first emerged." Dudley's face was pink with embarrassment but there was an honesty in his eyes that had been lacking in them before.

"No trouble, no trouble at all." The aged Headmaster put a comforting hand on Dudley's shoulder

Dudley lead the Headmaster down the hall and into the small bedroom they'd moved Harry too when he'd stabilized somewhat. This room was warmer and more homelike then the infirmary had been and the Healers hoped that it would comfort Harry when and if he ever woke. Draco was sitting at Harry's right hand in a comfortable looking armchair, a heavy old book in his lap.

"Hello Headmaster, sir." Draco's quiet voice broke the silence and he slide a bookmark into the book he'd been reading to Harry.

Dumbledore nodded gravely at Draco and looked down at Harry, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully for once. He took in the boy's pale face, the diagnostic spells that were still in force, the magical IV with it's group of various potions and the cursed wound with a sweeping look.

"How is he doing?" Dumbledore's voice sounded tired and both boys noticed a tiredness in his eyes that had not been there before.

"He's doing much better then they expected, sir. He came out of his coma yesterday afternoon though he didn't actually wake up." Draco began.

At this point Healer Garnett entered the room to check on Harry and to take up the post of watching over him so that Draco could get some rest. Draco smiled in thanks at the Healer and both he and Dudley left. That left the Healer and Dumbledore alone to discuss Harry's condition.

"As young Mr. Malfoy has said Mr. Potter came out of his coma yesterday and has been healing at an incredible rate since that time. We've reset and healed all the broken bones he sustained or else regrew them. All but the most grievous of his injuries have healed completely and the rest are in various stages of healing. Professor Snape is working day and night on a potion that will hopefully break the curse on his left arm so that we can treat it. We are hopeful he will make an almost complete recovery at least physically and that is saying something seeing as how he was nearly dead when he arrived here two days ago. Our only concern is his mental state though at the moment we can do nothing to even determine that."

Dumbledore looked down at Harry again and studied his features. The boy's face was pale and much to thin as were the arms that lay outside the dark blankets. His heart ached for the boy who'd come so close to death and who had been so gravely injured because of his mistake. He swore that he would never be so neglectful of the boy's safety again and that he would, at the first opportunity, tell Harry everything that he had thus far not revealed to his young charge.

"How long before he wakes?"

"Could be hours or weeks. One never knows in instances like this. We have been keeping a close eye on him though. He will not be alone when he wakes. Rest assured of that."

Dumbledore nodded still looking at Harry and noticing that his magical signature seemed to be fluxing around him in a way most trained wizards' signature would not and in a way that Harry's should not be yet given that he was still several months from becoming a wizarding adult. There also appeared to be slightly more power behind that signature than before. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed for a moment in concentration then he turned to Garnett.

"You might want to warn the others that Harry is about to undergo the process by which a witch or wizard's core becomes fully developed."

The Healer's eyes widened. "But that's not..."

"I think you will find that most things concerning Harry Potter tend to be rather impossible. He is after all the 'Chosen One' and this explains his sudden healing rate increase as that is part of the Core Maturity process."

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Over the next month Dumbledore visited the safe house a total of seven times but despite the fact that Harry's body was nearly completely healed he still hadn't regained consciousness. This concerned the Healers a great deal since they'd expected him to wake up several weeks earlier but they were very sure he was merely asleep and not comatose again. Also he'd not yet undergone the core maturity process as Dumbledore had said be might. This too concerned everyone in the safe house. Snape believed that both were being caused by the curse he'd thus far been unable to break. The Healers seemed to thing that both were the result of his weakened condition and that the curse had nothing to do with it. Draco secretly believed that Snape was correct but could not discount the Healers' thoughts on the matter completely. Draco spent his time reading anything and everything he could get his hands on about cursed wounds and healing trying to help Snape figure out what to try next.

Dudley didn't understand everything the wizards around him talked about when it came to actual magic so he left them to their theories and discussions of what other means they could try to break the curse and what effects said attempt might have on Harry. It was his turn to sit at Harry's bedside to make sure he wasn't alone on the off chance he should wake. After making sure the IV lines were untangled and unobstructed he pulled a chair next to his cousin's bedside and sat. The Healers had told them all to talk to Harry because it would help him to know that he was somewhere safe among friends. Dudley didn't know whether Harry would be thinking of any of them as friends but he began to talk anyway knowing that having someone nearby might help his cousin's recovery. Dudley always felt awkward when it was his turn. Snape and Draco had known Harry outside of the Muggle world and had come to know his cousin in a way he had not. His only experiences with Harry had been violent and decidedly not friendly in any way, shape or form. Harry and his cousin had virtually nothing in common except the desire to put an end to Voldemort's reign of terror and Harry was as yet unaware of this.

"Hi, Harry. It's me again, you know your fat whale of a cousin, Dudley. Everyone is worried sick about you. Dumbledore's been here several times already and all your friends keep asking about you. Please just wake up. You need to wake up. We need you...the wizarding world needs you. Come on Harry. I know you are stronger than this. Wake up!"

He was looking down at Harry's face when four things happened at once: A strange, ethereal wind began to blow within the room, the glowing sphere that indicated the power level of Harry's magical core began to glow with a blinding red/gold light, an alarm sounded to alert the Healers that something was happening with their patient and Harry's eyes suddenly flew open.


	3. Healing

**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**

By: AlbusSeverusGryffindor

**Author's Note: **Here's the next chapter. Hope you all enjoy it and sorry it took so long. First I was sick and then holidays came.

**Part Three: Healing**

_I don't want to play anymore...the more you care, the more you have to lose. - Harry Potter OotP movie_

Harry stared at the ceiling above him as if it were the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen in his life. Ignoring everything and everyone else in the room he studied it with intense concentration and a look of confusion for a few moments before blinking and moving his eyes to the nearby window to his left. Sunlight was pouring through it, pure and golden, and he had not seen it's like in months. He blinked at the seemingly bright and intense light for a moment feeling it's long lost warmth through the blankets that covered him and on his left hand where it lay outside of the blankets. This warmth, however, was nothing compared to the warmth that was flooding his system, singing in his veins.

He could feel his magic flowing through him strong and sure, filling him with a feeling much akin to the sun's warming rays but that warmth was to sunlight what his Aunt Marge's dog, Ripper was to Hagrid's Fluffy. The warmth of his magic seemed to wrap Harry in a protective cocoon of sorts and while he felt no better physically than he had on waking, he felt more powerful and stronger magically then he had ever felt before in his life. He felt almost overcome by a sense of rightness he had never felt before. He closed his eyes and for a moment he thought he heard the distant, faint trill of phoenix song coming not from an actual phoenix but seemingly from inside himself, from inside his very core. Unknown to him he began to glow with a blinding white light and for a moment the others saw the shining image of a phoenix shimmering around Harry, singing for all it was worth and wrapping him protectively in its fiery wings before the image blinded them with it's intensity.

Several hundred miles away the holly and phoenix wand on Dumbledore's desk began to vibrate, shooting off red and gold spark in profusion. Fawkes trilled a soft, wavering note and Dumbledore came out of his private rooms at the back of office just in time to see Harry's wand vanish from the desk in a flash of phoenix flame. Dumbledore blinked at the still smoking place where the wand had lain and then smiled as if he had been expecting this to happen all along. He went back to his private rooms to get a traveling cloak and his supply of Floo powder. He felt a need to see Harry again.

The flash of flame next to Harry caught everybody by surprise and they jumped realizing that they could see again. Harry's wand appeared a second later in his right hand and he instinctively curled his fingers around it. The holly wood was warm to his touch but had not been damaged by it's contact with PhoenixFyre. Harry could feel the warmth spreading from his wand's core into his magical one and he could feel his core respond by returning a bit of power and infusing it with the phoenix feather that was his wand core. It felt very much like the bonding that had happened in Ollivander's when he was eleven only stronger and more complete. The phoenix song was stronger than ever now, seeming to fill him with light and hope even though he no longer felt either. He lost himself in the song for several long moments during which his vital signs righted themselves and every wound save for the cursed one healed themselves as if phoenix tears had been shed over them.

After several tense moments of silence during which the others had remained frozen apparently to scared to even breath lest it disturb the magic being used, Harry opened his eyes again and began to sit up slowly. He winced as pain shot through both his still injured arm and his scar. He stared fixedly out the window next to his bed, his hand reflexively toying with the wand in it. After a few seconds of staring longingly at a small lake shining in the sun's light and surrounded with willows and other trees whose branches blew slightly he dropped the wand, raising his hand toward the beam of bright sunlight. He seemed to cup it in his outstretched hands, a strange look on his face. His vision blurred with unshed tears and he said two words so softly that they were almost lost.

"Safe...Free..."

Those two words seemed to shatter the dam he'd been holding his emotions behind for so long, since the day he'd exchanged his life for everyone else's. The tears that were standing in his eyes began to fall, unstoppable and full of all the rage, pain and sorrow he'd managed to hide from his captors. His tears were silent tears though his body shook with the force of them and the emotions they represented. The others merely stood by not knowing precisely what to do to comfort the boy's obvious mental anguish without it coming off as being uncaring and meaningless to him. Snape made a brief movement that looked suspiciously like he wanted to hug the boy to him and sooth his hurts. Dudley had not moved from Harry's bedside and his face was pale and strained as wave after wave of emotions moved over them all though no one apart from Snape and himself could feel them. Draco and the healers remained near the door not knowing what to do.

Dudley managed to block the mixture of emotions that were invading his mind but not before he felt a mixture of paralyzing fear, intense emotional pain, self loathing and a rage so deep that it almost overrode every other emotions Harry was venting along with a strong image of one of the tortures he'd suffered. He eyed Harry with trepidation, fearing that his cousin might lash out at any moment. When nothing happened he looked at the others, seemed to take a hold of his courage and looked again at Harry, whose sobs seemed to have subsided though he still seemed unaware of anyone else in the room.

"None of it was your fault." Dudley said quietly. "No one deserves what happened to you. You did nothing to cause it. You only wanted to save their lives even if it cost your own. No one deserves to be treated like that."

Harry looked sharply at his cousin and Dudley could feel a mixture of hatred and confusion coming from him. His eyes were cold, hard chips of green ice. He looked from Dudley to Snape and Malfoy and finally to Dumbledore who'd just entered the room. His anger increased as he looked from person to person, the air around him seemed to tremble with his pent up anger and the wand on his bed shot off more sparks. His eyes narrowed into cold glare and everyone could feel the power behind that glare.

"What do any of you know about me or my life!" His voice was as cold as his eyes and it seemed to carry even though he was only speaking at barely above a whisper since his vocal cords and voice box had been damaged during his torture. "Since when have any of you ever understood anything that I have had to endure all these years! How could you ever presume to know what I've just recently had to endure?"

The three Healer's moved toward Harry but were stopped by the glare he gave them and by a push from his magic. Then he turned his cold green eyes back to the others who had gathered close together as he accused them.

"None of you have ever cared about me or what happens to me! I'm just a waste of space! A freak! Someone for Slytherins and Death Eaters to loath or attack at the least opportunity!" He gave Dudley, Malfoy and Snape a deadly glare and then turned his eyes to Dumbledore his voice dripping with anger. "You just want your precious little wizarding savior, your 'Chosen One' back! If I were any other student, anyone else but the boy with the weight of the Prophecy on his shoulders and this supposed 'power the Dark Lord knows not' you would have just left me to die in that hell hole! Four months! Alone except for those that tortured me and Him!"

His voice was full of pain and Harry wrapped his arms around his drawn up knees, trembling on the knife's edge of sanity. His eyes had become shadowed and dull and he was staring off at something the others could not see, which caused his face to pale and his body to tremble still more violently. Tears were making tracks down his face again and he flinched when someone made a sudden unconscious movement. He moved as far away from them as the bed would allow and wouldn't looked at any of them.

"That's not tr..." Draco began but he was cut off by a snarl from Harry, whose dead green eyes seemed to pin him in place.

"Don't lie to me! None of you care! You've never cared so don't you patronize me! I know better! You gave up on me month ago! Don't deny it! I waited, stayed alive for you, hoping for rescue but you gave up and left me there to suffer! Just like you always do! None of you came to my rescue last year when Umbridge was torturing me and spreading those foul rumors that I was mad! None of you defended me when the Ministry was out for my blood! No one noticed when that Death Eater changed the Cup into a Portkey and I vanished with Cedric or later when that same Death Eater dragged me away intent on finishing the job Voldemort had started! Why should any of you care as long as your perfect little weapon does the job! Who cares what suffering or sorrow I have to endure as long as I fulfill the Prophecy and vanquish Voldemort! Who cares if I bloody well die as long as He dies with me!" Harry's anger was seething and the room around him trembled in response to the power that was leaking from him. The others stepped back a pace clearly not having expected this outburst from Harry.

Harry's icy green eyes found Dumbledore's blue ones and he exploded again, tears of rage and sorrow falling from his eyes. "Four months of suffering, of endless torment! All for nothing because YOU DON'T CARE! You never saw it did you, Dumbledore? You never cared about me at all did you? You left me to my suffering just as you have always left me! All you've ever done is lie to me from the beginning just like the Dursley's! You only wanted a weapon you could control! Someone who would take care of you problem and clean up your mess for you! You only want me to be a good little boy and fight your damned war for you yet you kept information hidden from me until it's to late...until people close to me die! Well I refuse to fight **your** bloody war, Dumbledore! The Prophecy be damned! I will no longer be your pawn! I hate the world and everyone in it can go to hell for all I care."

He turned away from them all and his shoulders began to shake with the force of his renewed sobs. The room was silent and those within it watched Harry carefully but he said nothing more.

"Harry? Please just listen. I know I've made terrible mistakes..."

Harry's muffled voice cut off Dumbledore's sentence. "No you listen. I've had enough! All the pain, all the suffering...I can't take anymore! I'm not playing this game anymore. It hurts to much. I'm tired and it's over. Voldemort has already won so just leave me alone!"

There was a loud clap of thunder overhead and a sudden shower of hail that hit roof and ground violently even though the day was still sunny and there was not a cloud in the sky. This was clearly a bit of uncontrolled and accidental magic that a fifth year should have been long passed making and it clearly showed how even Harry's control over his magic was completely gone. Harry slumped forward and held his head in his hands.

"To much! It's all to much!" Harry's voice had become weaker and there was a pleading note in it. All of his rage seemed to have left him. "I'm only sixteen...sixteen! It's unfair...all of it. And you don't understand, not any of you. I don't know what to do anymore. Please don't make me. I can't face him again."

Two solitary tears rolled down his face and he fixed them with a pleading look that made he look years younger than sixteen. Healer Garrnet moved forward slightly and gave Harry a sympathetic look, clearly wanting to take the young man into her arms and comfort him as she would her own children. Healer McDohl moved closer as well.

"We might understand better if you would like to talk about it." he said softly.

"Can't..." Harry had begun to tremble violently again and his face had paled. There was an almost empty look in his eyes and for a moment it seemed he was back in that dungeon again surrounded by nothing but darkness, hopelessness and despair. His body shivered uncontrollably and he began to mutter incomprehensibly while all the glass in the room began to rattle ominously.

Snape nodded in understanding though the Healers were clearly at a loss. He walked over to the bed and set a journal bound in black leather upon the bedside table. Harry didn't appear to notice him at all at first, to lost in whatever horrors he'd had to endure over the last almost four months. Snape's voice was soft and low. "When it becomes to much to hold inside, write it out in the book. You don't need to tell any of us about it but you can't keep the memories bottled up forever. It will only lead to more pain and suffering. These memories will poison your mind if you let them, Harry. To heal and move on with your life you will need to release them. "

Harry blinked in surprise at the gentleness in Snape's voice and he looked up at the Potion's Master in confusion. For a moment their eyes locked and a new form of understanding passed between them. Harry could clearly see the same suffering and pain he was feeling mirrored in the former Death Eater's eyes in that moment. After few seconds silence Harry nodded at Snape.

"Thank you." Now it was Snape's turn to be surprised. He gave Harry a strange look but nodded gravely to the boy.

"You're welcome."

At that moment the Healers ordered everyone apart from themselves from the room. Harry needed to be checked over and given a variety of potions after which he was to rest.

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Dumbledore lead the others into the sitting room, where he sat down heavily in a chair in front of the fire. He stared into the flames for several moments without saying a word to them. Dudley and Draco took seats in two overstuffed armchairs, Dudley wincing at the headache that was forming behind his eyes as a result of Harry's emotional outburst. Draco looked at Dumbledore, concern in his gray eyes. Snape remained in the doorway, watching the aging Headmaster carefully. Dumbledore had seemed to age before his eyes while Harry was yelling at him and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the old man now. He'd only been doing what he thought was right at the time. He wanted Harry to have a somewhat normal life at Hogwarts without him having to worry overmuch about Death Eaters and Voldemort or the Prophecy. He'd wanted the boy to be happy and to make friends neither of which he'd been able to do in the Muggle world. He'd wanted Harry to only be concerned with typical teenage wizard pursuits and not with thoughts of war or death. And now that had seemingly backfired in his face. If there was one thing Snape had learned about Harry in the last year it was that he hated being lied to above all else and in keeping certain bits of informations secret Dumbledore had managed to lose Harry's trust. Only time would tell if it had been lost forever.

"What more can I do, Severus? How can I help him? How can I win back his trust? You know how much I care for the boy. I never meant...I didn't mean for him to think he was only ever a weapon for me to use. I only wanted to see him happy since he'd had so little happiness in his life. Was it so wrong of me to want to see him happy before things became darker?" Dumbledore's voice sounded almost feeble and he looked at Snape as of the former Death Eater held all the answers that would solve their problems.

"No, Albus. I believe you merely wanted to prevent him from choosing the dark path taken by Riddle. He needed to be loved by others, needed companionship and happiness. You were not wrong about that."

Dumbledore looked at Snape in surprise and nodded. "What should we do then?"

"First we must allow him time alone away from the rest of the wizarding world. He's just been through the worst combination of tortures imaginable and he's carrying a lot of guilt on his shoulders from even before that. We must allow him time to deal with what has happened and to heal from it. That's why I gave him that book. I know better than anyone that Potter...Harry will not open up to anyone about his problems. According to his close friends he tends to shut himself away and lock his true feeling inside himself until they eat him up and he strikes out. In that respect he is very like me."

"But he's also..." began Draco.

"Dangerous and his magic is out of his control." Snape nodded. "And I'm afraid he may remain so for some time to come. The Dark Lord has damaged a part of Harry's magical core when he attempted to drain it for use in dark rituals and to fuel dark spells with power other than his own. When he did that it destroyed Harry's control over his magic among other things. Until we can stabilize his core again and repair the damage he will have no control."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement with Snape's assessment of the situation. "There is nothing we can do except wait for his core to stabilize and to begin repairing itself if it can. That may be why his core went through to Core Maturity process so early. It may be his core's way of dealing with the damage and repairing it. Still he will realize that there has been some damage and that he lacks the control he once had. When he realizes it he will likely attempt to retrain himself. Give him all the help you can, Severus, Draco."

He stood and threw some Floo powder into the fire, which turned a deep green. "And now I must be off to the Order meeting. I will return in few weeks to see how he is doing."

"He did not mean the things he said, sir." Dudley's voice carried across the silent room. "About you not caring and only thinking of him as some sort of weapon. He's just scared, sir."

Dumbledore blinked rapidly and gave Dudley a small smile. "Thank you." He was gone in flash of green flame and the fire returned to it's normal color.

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A week later Harry was declared fit enough to be up and about and was also cleared to go outside whenever the weather permitted. This was a great relief to the others as it meant that Harry was well enough to take care of his own needs. This in turn meant that they could continue with the help of the Healers to find a way to break the curse over his left arm so that it could be healed. For the moment they had settled on keeping it wrapped in bandages soaked in a magical protective solution and keeping it in sling to prevent farther injury. Harry was glad to be allowed out of bed and outside as well. Now he was able to escape their curious eyes and even their very presence when it became to much for him to bare. He preferred to be alone with his thoughts.

At the moment he was sitting by a small stream that lead to the lake he'd first seen from his window. He was staring into it's reflective surface trying to keep his mind blank and empty wanting to forget the nightmare he'd had when he'd napped. He'd found himself staring off at nothing quite often of late in an attempt to block out the memories that were slowly returning to him. These memories were setting off nightmare that were leading to 'episodes' were he would fall into very vivid and realistic memories of the various tortures he'd received. Almost anything could set off 'episodes' especially if he'd had a nightmare the night before. The problem wasn't just that he was having these flashbacks but that he didn't know what would set them off to start with and most disturbing of all was the fact that he would often lash out with his uncontrolled magic at whoever was nearest when he fell into one of these memories. He was slowly becoming afraid of his magic and of himself.

Harry sighed and rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to ease the stiffness in it. He looked back at the safe house a moment, scanning it and the surrounding area for his Healers or the others. Finding no one in the vicinity he drew his knees up to his chest and rested his forehead on them, no longer able to hold the memory he'd been fending off at bay. The area around him vanished and he was back in a cold, dark room surrounded by Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

_Tears sprang into his eyes and his body shook in remembered pain. He could hear the echo of his pleading screams, Voldemort's sibilant voice in his mind like burning flames, the horrid chanting that echoed around the stone room they were in, the laughter of the Death Eaters as he was tortured and humiliated before the full conclave of Dark Wizards who each wanted a go at him while he lay in a helpless heap on the cold stone floor, chained there like some animal. When they were finished torturing him with every dark curse know to them and a few experimental spells they forced burning potion after burning potion down his raw throat and watched him struggle for breath before a burning sensation started in his stomach and he began screaming again. It had felt as if his very blood had been turned into molten fire in his veins and as if all his organs were on fire. The pain was worse than the Cruciatus Curse if that were possible. He felt as if he were drowning in pain and blood and could think of nothing else but the feeling of his insides burning. The chains rattled around him as he spasmed on the floor at Voldemort's feet and his screams echoed around the room. They became louder still as a few Death Eaters cast a variety of additional curses on him causing the burning potion to react and become even more painful._

Harry held his head as the memory washed over him and his body twitched in response to the phantom pain the memory called forth. Harry wanted to scream, to lash out at someone but there was no one nearby. The branches above him started lashing out violently and the water in front of him that had been calm a moment before started slap against the rocks loudly. He stared into the sunlit water and tried to clear his mind of all thought and memory but his mind refused to cooperate and he was thrown once more into the memory, everything around him dissolving again.

_He remember feeling as if tongues of flame were slowly killing him from the inside. He could feel every nerve and cell within him burning in a fire so hot he was sure he would burst into flames at any moment. It felt as if everything inside him was melting, like the potion had been pure acid and was now eating away at him. He remembered begging Voldemort to just kill him so he could join his parents and Sirius. They had forced two more burning potions down his throat and Harry knew nothing but intense, burning pain for a long time after. He didn't know how long he'd been tortured with the potions but at some point someone had forced a different one down his throat, something like liquid ice. The burning sensation left him and in it's place was only intense bitter coldness. It had felt as if his blood was freezing in his veins and that he was slowly freezing to death. The cold was bone deep and more biting than that which was produced by Dementors. It hurt to breath and it felt as if thousands of needles were being driven into his organs and brain slowly cutting off his life force. He could feel the world around him slowly slipping away, everything was growing foggy and he could no longer feel his body. He felt like he was detached from it, like he was floating away on a wave of cold. He knew he was dying then and he welcomed it. The world around him had slowly faded away into complete blackness. When he'd finally come to he realized he was not dead and that they had chained him in a new position. The Death Eaters were chanting their horrible chant again and were moving over and around him. He could feel Dark magic surrounding him, cutting off his breath, freezing his thoughts and shrouding his will in a heavy darkness from which he could not escape. He could do nothing as the first Death Eater moved toward him except scream._

The memory was abruptly cut off by Harry then. He did not want to remember what the Death Eaters had done to him after that point. He did not want to remember how helpless he'd been to stop them. He did not want to hear his petrified pleading screams echoing around the room as the Death Eaters laughed at his helplessness. Instead he picked up a book on Defensive Magic he'd brought out with him and began to read, hoping to lose himself for awhile in studying, hoping the memory would leave him be.

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**Excerpts from the Healing Journal of Harry Potter**

_**8 October 1996**_

_...I feel so disconnected from everyone and everything I used to know. It's almost like they are a part of another world from the one I now occupy, a world I can no long access because of my captivity. I've never felt more alone in my life, not even when the whole wizarding world seemed to have turned against me. I don't understand what I'm feeling anymore. Nothing is the same anymore. For the first time in my life I find that I am lost. _

_**9 October 1996**_

_I'm not sure who I am anymore. All is darkness and despair. I wish I could lock myself away somewhere or else die. There is nothing left of me. It is gone, lost in the darkness that was my captivity. Where has the boy gone that once swore to fight against Voldemort with everything he had in him, who said he would never give into him or the Dark, who flatly refused his heart's desire when it was offered in exchange for his soul? Why can't I find the courage that lead me to the Chamber to rescue Ginny, that lead me to fight off a hundred Dementors to save Sirius, that once lead me to duel the Dark Lord with nothing more than a Disarming Charm, to fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters again a year later and that lead me to willingly trade what I thought would be my life to ensure the protection of everyone else? Where has it all gone? I feel I have lost something valuable that may never be restored to me._

_**10 October 1996**_

_...The visions have returned. He's been in my mind again, trying to get me to do his bidding but I refused. The pain of his anger was so great that I passed out and had to spend several days in bed. They tell me they will try to find a way to block him from my mind until I can rebuild my shields. Why bother? I am lost forever._

_**12 October 1996**_

_These 'episodes' are growing stronger and more frequent. I don't know how to stop them and have chosen to lock myself in my room when I feel the beginnings of one rather than run the risk of hurting anyone else. The last 'episode' I had caused my magic to lash out at the others and they were hurt badly. I can't deal with this any longer. It's like I'm slowly going mad. I'm losing myself all over again just as I did before. Maybe that was Voldemort's plan from the start. _

_**15 October 1996**_

_So much pain inside...Someone please help me...I don't want to be here any longer...I want to be myself again. To heal...but everything hurts even my magic hurts me. It reminds me of all that was lost...I'm broken...never to be healed again..._

_**25 October 1996**_

_The healers have said that I have regained all the memory I am likely to regain and I am fine with that as most of the memories that are gone are either about things that happened to me when I was at the Dursley's or things that happened during my captivity. I'm fine with not remembering those things though there are days when I forget the simplest things and that scares me. It's like some of my memories are hazy or simply not there at all. _

_**31 October 1996**_

_The curse was finally lifted today. Ironic isn't it? Maybe now I can get back some of my lost strength. I'm supposed to start spellwork again tomorrow but I'm scared of hurting someone with my powers. I still don't have the fine control I once had. I'm not even sure I want to fight. Dumbledore told me that I could turn away from the Prophecy if I wanted to. I'm not sure what is wrong with me. I know I have to fight if for no other reason than to protect the others but somehow I can't seem to find the will to do so. Has my captivity caused me to lose even that? How could I lose something that was clear to me at eleven?_

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A month had passed at the safe house and Harry appeared, at least on the surface, to have made a nearly complete recovery and was very nearly his old self. He still had trouble with his memory something that the Healers had attributed to both the excessive use of the Crucaitus Curse and brain damage resulting from his heart stopping during his first night there. It hadn't seemed to effect his knowledge of spells or his knowledge of other parts of his magical education however. If anything it had opened up his mind in a way that allowed him to seem to absorb new information and magical knowledge at a pace that would have had Hermione jealous. Snape was thankful that the boy's mind wasn't more damaged and if he had trouble remembering things like how to tie his shoes or someone's name it seemed to be balanced by this new skill of his.

Snape stood and watched the young man through an upstairs window feeling his powers even from here. Harry was standing by the lake practicing his spellwork with Draco in an attempt to restore some control over his powers, which was still sporadic at best. Surprisingly or maybe not, Harry's magical core had stabilized within a few hours after it had matured and had healed completely from the damage it has sustained within a few weeks after that. Most of his low level shielding had also returned though it had not yet strengthened to the level it had been at before he'd been captured. The shields around his mind were another matter. No matter what he'd tried they had refused to be restored. Snape had a theory that Voldemort himself was preventing Harry from restoring the shielding to his mind. At the moment they were taking it in turns to shield his mind from Voldemort's influence since it was clear that Voldemort could take control of Harry whenever he felt like it and they all had had a taste of what that had been like.

Snape watched Harry with a small smile playing about his mouth as he saw Malfoy's wand go flying from his hand and into Harry's own. The boy smiled slightly at this and returned the wand to Draco before resuming their exercise. It seemed that some of his control may have come back to him when his shielding returned. Snape was glad of it for he knew it would do much to help Harry's still fragile mental state.

Though he had long ago healed physically from his wounds and though his magical core pretty much healed, Harry had only marginally recovered from his ordeal mentally. Both Draco and Dudley had reported that Harry was having almost nightly nightmares that left him unable to return to his much needed rest and his 'episodes' were becoming more violent by the day. He was still carrying around the journal Snape had given him and he'd seen Harry writing in it several times but it seemed not to be as helpful as talking it out would have been.

Harry was continuing to bottle up all of his emotions inside, according to Dudley, and it was slowly eating away at him. All of them had tried to get him to open up but thus far he'd remained silent on the subject of his captivity. In fact, he rarely spoke at all these days, preferring to keep to himself and to spend hours staring blankly at nothing in particular. All of these things among others were worrying Snape and the others. Harry had never been a follower, he'd always taken the lead in any situation he'd found himself in. He been outspoken against evil and had also been recklessly unafraid of danger. He'd been willing to sacrifice himself to protect his friends. All that had changed with his capture it seemed. Now Harry never spoke unless spoken to first and never gave his opinion on anything. He was given to long periods of solitude and seemed to be easily frightened of everything around him. If he happened to be in a room with the others he would huddle in a corner by himself not interacting with anyone and acting as if they were either not in the room or like they were going to hurt him. Worst of all he seemed to be afraid of his own magic to the point that he flatly refused to do any offensive spells whatsoever and was only grudgingly willing to perform the vast defensive arsenal he had. It was almost as if he had already given up, like he didn't want to fight anymore and that was frightening to those who were aware that he held the only hope of defeating Voldemort within him. Thankfully no one outside of those in the safe house were aware of this yet. Not even Dumbledore was fully aware of it.

If Harry continued down this self destructive path it would lead to his own destruction. Voldemort wouldn't even have to lift a finger to destroy the 'Chosen One' Harry would do it for him and then Voldemort would be free to reign terror down on them all. Snape shivered at the thought, only half watching the two wizards dueling below him. Something would have to be done and soon or they might not be able to pull Harry back from the chasm he was standing before. Perhaps the time had come to return to Hogwarts and call in a mind healer like Dumbledore had written them only that morning. It was clear that Harry needed more help than they could give him in such a remote location though they had hoped time away from the wizarding world might help him recover. Maybe if he returned to something familiar with his friends around him then he would open up and finally begin to heal mentally.

An agonizing scream of pain below him brought Snape out of his musings. He looked down in to see Harry falling to the ground, still screaming and clutching at his unbandaged left arm. He saw the bandages he'd so carefully applied that morning fluttering to the ground in a fiery ribbon. He saw Draco running toward him with a look of utter horror on his pale face seconds before a bright white light enveloped them both. There was a deafening bang and the house shook as if an explosion had rocked it. When Snape could see again he saw Harry laying in the middle of a charred circular area, gray smoke curling in the air around him. He seemed to be twitching on the ground and muttering softly. Draco stood a few feet from him, staring at Harry clearly afraid to come any closer.

Snape pulled his eyes away from the scene below him and ran down the stairs and outside, his dark robes billowing around him. He could smell charred grass and wood on the air which tasted acidic. He arrived at Harry's side and ignoring everyone else he knelt at the twitching boy's side trying to see what he could do for him. Harry was mumbling incoherently still clutching at his left arm, his eyes tightly shut. His scar was standing out darkly on his forehead and his body was emanating waves of heat. Suddenly, his eyes shot open though it was clear by the blank quality of them that he saw nothing.

Harry shook his head violently and grimaced in pain. Snape attempted to move closer but was pushed back by a force almost like wind. Harry's eyes dropped closed again and he moaned in pain. His breathing became labored and it was clear that he was fighting off some compulsion. Snape looked around and noticed Dudley sprawled on the ground nearby unconscious and horror filled him. No one was shielding Harry's mind and Voldemort had used that opportunity to slip inside again. They had only seconds to do something.

"No...I will not hurt...cannot make me...not ever again...Don't want to...Leave me alone!"

Harry's face had become a mask of pain as he continued to fight off the compulsion and his body flinched as Voldemort's mind battered his own. On instinct Snape moved forward again and took hold of Harry's left arm that bore the cursed mark. He summoned some magically treated bandages to him and pushed the sleeve of Harry's jumper to expose the still unhealed wound. It was burning to the touch and unlike other Dark Marks , which burned black when the Dark Lord summoned them, the lightening mark on Harry's arm was burning a deep blood red and seemed to pulse as if alive. Harry cried out again and his right hand flew to the scar on his forehead.

His voice was shattered and Snape shuddered on hearing how weak and broken Harry sounded. "No...Please no...I'll do anything...just stop the pain...Whatever you want master...I'll obey...just make it stop...make it stop..."

Healer McDohl knelt at Harry's right side and tried to get the boy to lay down, talking to him in a soft, soothing voice but he thrown violently to the side. Snape could not hear Voldemort's reply but Harry's face paled and then contorted with anguish as another scream was ripped from his throat. He continued scream and trying to fight while his dull green eyes began to turn scarlet and slit pupiled as Voldemort possessed him. Snape ignored everything knowing they had little time left to them. If Voldemort succeeded in possessing Harry fully all was lost and they would all die painfully. Harry's mind would shatter completely and then everything would be over. Snape muttered incantation after incantation over the still unhealed wound and wrapped it carefully in the bandages ignoring the hissing words of Parseltongue Harry was now speaking in a cold voice not his own and the fact that he was trying very hard to break Snape's wand arm. Harry stopped screaming as soon as Snape's incantations were finished though his breathing was still labored and he was still clearly trying to throw off Voldemort's mind from his own and was losing this battle of wills.

Snape felt his arm snap and pain shot through his body but he willed himself to look down into the red eyes before him, willed those eyes to return to the vivid green that were Lily's. "Harry, you are not His. You are Light, He is Darkness. You have a power he doesn't understand. Remember? Try and remember. Please come back to us."

Harry's body convulsed on the ground and another moan escaped his mouth but his eyes slowly returned to the deep emerald they were normally. Snape could feel someone's mind shielding Harry's again and the boy fell limp as Voldemort's mind was blocked at last and all strength drained out of him. Then Snape muttered protective spells over the wound hoping to would be enough to block out any more influence from Voldemort at least long enough for them to get him under Hogwarts' protective wards. Harry's body relaxed farther and Snape looked up just in time to see the boy's eyes fixed on him with a look of concern before they rolled into his head and unconsciousness claimed him.


	4. Legends

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**By: AlbusSeverusGryffindor**_

**Author's Note: **I wanted to thank those of you who have been reading. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

**Part Four: Legends**

_Now the day has come/We are forsaken this time-__** Forsaken-Within Temptation**_

It was an unseasonably warm day, the warmest anyone could every remember. The sun shone down with a fierce brightness as if that very brightness was an attempt by nature herself to drive away the darkness that was hovering over the magical world. It was the type of day that one would normally expect to see students and professors from the recently founded Hogwarts School out and about the village but the students had all been sent back home when word of the Dark Lord Aetren's rise had finally reached the remote village that was the current home of the school. The school, which had only opened three years previous, was now temporarily closed and it's students and staff dispersed in the hope that it would make them less of a target for the dark creatures Aetren had at his command.

They had been fighting for a little over a year to no avail. Aetren seemed unstoppable and nothing that the Hogwarts founders had done was slowing him down a wit. Not even Godric Gryffindor himself had been able to fight Aetren to anything more than a draw and he had lost his own lands and very nearly his life in the process. Aetren had laid claim to almost everything but the village and Ravenclaw Manor house that had once been Hogwarts. It and the area around it were all that remained free of his taint but even it was slowly being taken an inch at a time. Their hope was quickly dwindling as time passed and they were handed defeat after defeat accompanied with heavy casualities. They were fighting losing battle and everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Aetren himself appeared at the the head of his vast army to demand their surrender.

Godric Gryffindor sighed heavily as looked across the grounds of Ravenclaw Manor and waited for the others on the war council to arrive. Godric began to pace restlessly. What were they going to do? Everyday more and more joined Aetren's ranks, while their own dwindled as a result of deaths and attrition. They were hopelessly outnumbered and it was only because of quick thinking, luck and Selene Twelawny's gift that the forces of Light managed not to be crushed by their stronger foe. Godric wondered how much longer they could hold out. The noose of the Dark was being pulled tighter and tighter around their throats as time passed. Very soon they would have no choice...

Godric shook his head, his dark hair whipping him in the face and stopped his pacing as the other three Hogwarts founders and the others on the war council entered the room. They all gathered around him, taking a moment of silence to call for protection against their enemies, strength to continue what was rapidly becoming a hopeless fight and to once more ask the gods above for some kind of aid to appear. They all sat at the map strewn table without regard for class, power or blood. They were all in danger now from the same source so things such as blood status mattered very little now.

Godric's hazel eyes swept the table meeting the black eyes of Salazar Slytherin, the gray eyes of Helga Hufflepuff and the startling blue of Rowena Ravenclaw's. He gave them all a small nod but he could not offer them hope. He was beyond that now.

"I have called you all her to decide on a plan to break the hold Aetren has over the western lands." The others mummered and looked at Gryffindor with surprise.

"Aetren holds all the western lands to the sea. He has not been stopped by spell, ward, magical artifact or by magical or physical forces. Even now his minions harass our defensive and supply lines in addition to attacking villages and small farms. " Marius Harcourte deep bass rumbled from farther down the table. "Our forces are spread to thin. We cannot help anyone because we are to busy preventing him from gaining more ground."

"We need to do something to break the hold he has over us. May I remind you that he has us surrounded and nearly cut off from any aid we might obtain not to mention he has cut into our supply lines so severely that we barely have enough to feed even the people trapped here with us." Salazar's dark eyes snapped with barely contained fury. He hated the trap they found themselves in and hated being made to feel so weak and helpless. He hated the war that he found himself involved in and most of all he hated Aetren with a burning passion since the Dark Lord's forces has taken his lands from him and had killed the only woman he would ever love. He closed his eyes at the painful memory of her horrific death, his beautiful Elena.

The others at the table nodded in agreement. They were never going to be able to win this war without more allies nor would they be able to do so without supplies for the army. Unless they could break out of the trap they now found themselves in they could never acquire new allies from other areas that still might remain free of his taint. All messagers they had sent to potential allies had been slain before their messages could get through. They were in a hopeless situation and everyone at the table knew it. They needed a miracle or something of the sort if they were going to defeat him but there seemed to be none to spare at the moment.

The group argued for the next hour over whether to attempt to break out or whether it would better to gather as many of their forces together as they could and make a stand in a place of their own choosing. About half the council was for carrying the battle to their enemy at once but the other half wanted to wait, to rest and gather strength in the hopes that they might bring enough power to bare against him and that some miracle or lucky chance would save them yet again.

In the end nothing was decided and Salazar stormed off in a rage, declaring that he would take his own army out and fight against Aetren's forces alone if the others were to cowardly to stand up for themselves and their people. Godric understood him completely and he would have liked nothing better than to take his own forces out and join his friend on the battlefield. The simple fact was that they were simply to few to stand against Aetren in open battle and most of the people under their protections currently were to scared to even make a stand by joining forces with the Light side when the Dark seemed to be winning and when it appeared, at least on the surface, that more lives could be spared by submitting to him.

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Selene Twelawny had been the ward of Rowena Ravenclaw for three years, ever since her parents had been killed and Rowena had opened her heart and home to the injured young woman. She was the Seer for the Army of Light and it was mainly due to her powers of foresight that they had thus far avoided total annihilation. Her foresight was not her strongest gift but it worked best in the situation they now found themselves in and was most useful on the actual battlefield. Sometimes she knew where the enemy would be coming from and a rough estimate of their numbers, or other times she would know that they must hold off an attack until a specific moment or that they needed to retreat immediately because of some unforeseen danger. She could also look at maps of the area and sometimes tell where the enemy was weakest or where they might be able to slip in some allies or supplies. Gryffindor and the others quickly realized the usefulness of her gifts and had been quick to put them to use.

Selene sighed and rubbed her eyes trying to get them to focus properly. She'd been staring at a map of the surrounding area for what seemed like hours, trying to divine the weakest point in Aetren's defenses so that the Army of Light could make an attempt to break free or at least to get a messenger out. Thus far she'd had no success and she yawned tiredly. She leaned back in her chair, her cornflower blue eyes still on the parchment in front of her. She twisted a lock of dark hair around her finger as she concentrated on the map.

"Bah, nothing." She stood up and went to the window seeking solace in the sunlight that was pouring through it. Surely there was weakness there somewhere and by all the gods she was going to find it. They could not, must not lose. If they did then...no she would not think about it. There had to be a way: some weakness they could use, some as yet undiscovered weapon or spell, some combination of powers. Anything.

A door behind her opened and she turned to see Rowena standing there, a tea tray balanced magically in front of her. She smiled tiredly at her guardian and rushed over to help with setting up the tea things.

"I think it's time for you to rest, Lene. You've been at this for hours." Rowena's concern was evident in her voice.

Selene rubbed her tired eyes again and sat down, pouring a cup of tea for herself. She sighed heavily and fixed Rowena with a serious look.

"If there is a weakness in his defenses it's being blocked from my Sight." She made a gesture at the map on the larger table. "I have been unable to find it as yet."

"Maybe if you rested a while..." Rowena began.

"We both know there's no time for that. Everyday Aetren's noose grows tighter. Everyday we lose more and more ground to his forces. Everyday there are more loses." Her voice was tight with anger and sadness as she remembered her parents killed in the early days of the war when no one was aware there was a Dark Lord on the rise.

Rowena looked at her ward, a look of intense sorrow etching her features. "I know. We've no time anymore. Something must be done but we're at a loss as to what. We four are the most powerful here and even we can do nothing against him. We are like small irritating flies to him."

Selene wiped a few tears from her eyes and sipped her tea. She was gazing out the window again when a faint movement caught her eye. It was not movement caused by something on the other side of the the glass but rather movement on the surface of it. She watched it intently for a moment and the vision expanded until she could see it clearly. She saw a thin, sickly boy with the brightest green eyes and the messiest black hair she'd ever seen before. He was surrounded by a bright white light, so bright it was blinding even to her Sight. She could hear phoenix song surrounding her and the unknown boy though she could not identify it's source and then there was a flash of green lightening across her vision. She could feel the pull of the Realm of Spirits and fell into a deep trance.

Rowena's cup had stopped halfway to her mouth when she realized by her ward's blank look that Selene was experiencing a vision. She set the cup down and summoned a piece of parchment and quill, waiting expectantly. When Selene's head slumped onto her chest, Rowena held her breath. She was unsurprised to see Selene's head jerk up a few seconds later. Her eyes were blank and sightless and a harsh grating voice issued from her lips.

_As the seventh month dies hope shall be reborn_

_Child of Twin Destinies, Hope of Light shall appear in this time_

_Steadfast in his courage with a soul pure of heart_

_Survivor of Death's curse twice over_

_Marked by the Dark with the rune of Victory_

_One Chosen by two eras for to save one is to save the other_

_Traveler from a distant time in search of healing_

_His arrival shall herald a time for peace and hope_

_Child of the Phoenix, Bearer of the Wand of Light_

_He shall vanquish the darkness and unite the lands_

_Watch for the sign of the Phoenix who lives forever_

Selene's head fell onto her chest again after a moment's ringing silence and Rowena looked up from her parchment on which she'd recorded the Phoenix Prophecy. Slowly her ward's breathing returned to normal and her eyes fluttered open. Her eyes widened at the sight of the parchment in front of Rowena and she shivered slightly.

"Another prophecy?" She asked almost wearily. The last prophecy she had uttered had detailed the rise of the current Dark Lord though no one had wanted to believe it at the time because there was no sigh of one. The attack on Selene and her parents had appeared to be random despite it's brutality and obvious magical nature.

Rowena nodded and pushed the parchment across the table to her. Selene closed her eyes for a moment, trying to still the rapid beat of her heart, before opening them to read the words Rowena had written. She gasped and her eyes widened in surprise as she read. When she was finished she looked up at Rowena.

"Then there is hope if this wizard could be found..." Selene's voice faded mid-sentence as another vision gripped her. She could see the same pale and thin boy as before. His eyes were haunted and full of more pain than anyone could be expected to bare. For a moment his image was so clear it was as if he was standing in the room with them. Then he faded away again as suddenly as he'd appeared.

She shook her head to clear it and looked over at the table where she'd left her map. Going over to it she noticed a spot just inside the safe zone, a heavily forested area that was currently acting as a buffer between their forces and those of Aetren, and that spot began to glow. For a moment Selene frowned. There was nothing there but an ancient and crumbling stone archway left behind by some other wizarding race that no one in living memory had ever been able to make work. As she took a closer look at the rune they had used to designate the gateway's location she saw it change from Thurisaz into the lightening shaped rune Sowilo. Here was the sign of victory the prophecy spoke of.

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"The Prophesied One will appear at the Ancient's Gate at the end of the current moon cycle." Selene's quiet and calm voice cut across Gryffindor and Slytherin's argument. "We must be there when he appears. If he should fall into the hands of Aetren or one of his minions..."

"The Gate is to close to Aetren's new stronghold. No one has ever returned from the area and we have sent many scouts." Slytherin's silky voice replied and Selene's eyes glared daggers at him.

"We daren't lose more on what could be a fool's errand." Gryffindor's voice was steady and firm. There would be no convincing him now. Once he'd set his mind to something he very rarely backed down but this time they must sway him. It was to important. They had to find this Prophesied One, they had to meet him.

"When have I ever been wrong?" Selene's voice turned cold as ice and she slammed her fist down on the outspread map for emphasis. "When have I uttered false prophecy? If this 'Chosen One' is to appear near Aetren it is all the more reason for us to go to meet him. He will be in grave danger from the moment he passes through the gate and he may not even be aware of it. We could lose him before he can offer his aid to us. "

Helga stood up and glared at the two stubborn men, her gray eyes full of fire. "Selene is correct . We may not feel we can risk it but how can we not take the chance. The One spoken of in the prophecy must not be allowed to fall into Aetren's hands. He would turn him to the Dark or kill him and then all hope is lost. Your stubbornness will once more hand victory to the enemy. Can you not see how important this is. With him at our side we could be victorious but without him all is lost."

Rowena nodded her agreement but said nothing. She'd already spent the last hour given detailed reasons why it was necessary to go. Godric and Salazar could be so stubborn sometimes that it drove her to distraction. She watched the two bicker again for a few moments before she brought a fist crashing down on the table in front of her, causing everyone else to jump.

"If you will not go then Selene, Helga and I will. Someone must be there to meet him and as that land was once my own I claim that right." Her voice was soft but held and edge of steel in it.

"You will n..." both men began.

"We most certainly will. We are not frail court flowers who are afraid to see blood and who wait around for our knights in shining armor to rescue us. The swords and wands we carry are not just for show. We've got warrior blood running in our veins as well as the magical same as both of you. I wouldn't have expected you to have forgotten that so soon since it was you two who were in need of rescue not so long ago." Rowena's voice was like ice and she rose to leave with Helga and Selene in tow both of whom where glaring daggers at the two men.

Salazar and Godric had the decency to look contrite and eyed the women carefully. They looked so much like guilty schoolboy's that Rowena had to stop the grin that was trying to appear. "We meant no disrespect."

Rowena stopped at the door and looked back at them with a raised eyebrow. A look passed between the two men and they nodded to one another.

"We shall join you then. If this is as important as you say then this boy might hold the key to victory." Salazar said quietly.

Godric prayed it would be so but he couldn't help wondering what would happen should this wizard decide not to aid them or if he was in a state that would prevent him from doing so.

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The Fortress of Darthon was silent and still, shrouded in thick mist from the nearby lake. Most of Aetren's forces were gone, having been ordered to harass the enemy's lines and to cut off their supplies. Aetren smiled as he looked out over his domain. His blood red eyes held no emotion only coldness and cruelty. They were a vivid contrast to his darkly tanned face and midnight black hair. There was no compassion, no mercy in his heart only a thirst to dominate everything around him. Soon the Light fools would all perish and he would be left to rule in their stead. The world would be cleansed of the unworthy and the rest would be either his willing servants or his slaves. Once he took care of their leaders there would be no one left to stand against him. His mind filled with thoughts of the torture and pain he planned to bring to them. He wanted them begging for death and completely broken before he killed them. Then he would use the blood of his enemies to fuel his own magic. He rubbed his thin hands together in anticipation.

The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted his musings and one of his high ranking servants knelt before him, his immaculate blood red robes pooling around him as he did so.

"Master I bring news."


	5. Heirs

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**by Albus Severus Gryffindor**_

**Author's note: **Everything from the Harry Potter universe belongs to JKR. I have no claim on it and an just borrowing the characters for a time. The plot is all my own.

**Part Five: Heirs**

_You may belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart..._

_Or perhaps in Slytherin...those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends_

**Sorting Hat Song- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**

It would take them seven days to reach the safety of Hogwarts via Portkey travel from the Devonshire safe house. Seven days of fear as they moved from safe house to safe house with the Death Eaters never far behind them. Somehow they were now able to track Harry's movements though no one knew how this was possible as any sort of tracking spell would have had to be placed on Harry during his capture and Snape, the Healers and Draco were all relatively sure there were no such spells on Harry. Voldemort shouldn't even be able to trace him using the modified Dark Mark he'd attempted to place on his enemy since the Binding Ritual had never been completed. During their time on the run Harry only awoke once to give them all a blurry-eyed look of confusion before slipping back into unconsciousness.

A raging fever had taken hold of him after the incident at the lake and neither Snape nor the Healers had any explanation for it. Harry spent most of the following days tossing and turning in bed, muttering incoherently (sometimes in Parseltongue), and screaming once the hallucinations set in. Dudley knew he was reliving the time he had spent in Voldemort's company because he would get occasional flashes of Harry's memories during the worst of his nightmares and he did what he could to ease his cousin's pain although it wasn't much. Harry's face was a pale mask of pain covered with a thin sheen of sweat and his screams of agony and moans of pain were almost more than the young empath could stand.

Portkey travel over long distances only made Harry's symptoms worse so Healer McDohl had advised that they travel by a series of Portkeys rather than a single one. With the Death Eaters hot on their trail this delay at reaching a place of moderate safety made Snape and the others uncomfortable but they also understood that as important as it was to get Harry under the special protective wards Dumbledore had constructed around the Hospital Wing and Hogwarts it was still more important that Harry reach them alive. His life was to important not only to the Light but to Snape and the others as well. In the few weeks they had spent together he had managed to worm his way into their hearts. None of the three of them had ever thought this would be possible given that all of them had at one time loathed Harry but it was nevertheless the truth. They had come to care for him and had decided individually that they would do anything to insure his safety even above their own.

Dudley looked down at his cousin's pale, sweaty face and thought about how much things had changed in the last couple of weeks and could only feel relief that they were at least attempting to get along despite their not so friendly past. Not long after Harry had awakened and calmed down, Dudley had told him about what had happened to his relatives, had told him of his desire to help him take down Voldemort in any way he could now that he had the power to do so, and had asked for Harry's forgiveness for his actions of the last fourteen years.

"I don't expect that you'll ever forgive me for what I've done to you. I don't expect you to forgive me right away even but I'm here now and I want to help. We're the only family we've got left." He remembered saying at the time.

Harry, for his part, had accepted the heartfelt apology and for awhile things had been better between them if not a little strained. A few weeks later, once Harry discovered to what lengths Dudley would go to help and even protect him he'd forgiven Dudley on the spot for all the wrongs he had done him in the past. After that point their relationship, though still awkward and new, became more brotherly in nature. Dudley hoped they could continue getting to know each other better and that someday they would begin to view each other as true brothers. Someday when this war was over and peace returned he would be able to make up for lost time and make new and happier memories with his cousin.

Harry began to toss and turn on the bed, moaning softly and muttering. Dudley sat down and began talking of inconsequential things like the weather and what this particular safe house looked like while bathing Harry's hot forehead with a cool, damp cloth in an effort to reduce his fever. For some reason healing spells made Harry's condition worse so they were having to resort to Muggle ways in addition to potions to keep his fever down. For a moment Harry seemed to relax, his eyelids fluttering and he let out a small sigh. Dudley leaned closer to him, relief washing over him and said his name very quietly, paying no attention to the fact that all the glass in the room had started to rattle ominously. Harry's eyes shot open and Dudley was just starting to grin at him and to welcome him back to the land of the living when Harry's fist connected with his nose. He fell backward, startled, and falling to the floor with a loud thud. When he looked up he saw Harry's wand pointed directly at his chest. He swallowed nervously and crawled backwards tying to get out of the wand's range.

"Harry? It's only me, mate. It's alright..." Dudley looked into his cousin's eyes and saw that they were glowing slightly with a red light. He moved even farther back as a look of pure evil came over his cousin's features and a sneer found it's way onto his lips. Neither the look nor the sneer was something Dudley had ever seen on Harry's face before, not even when he used to torment his cousin. The red eyes seemed to hold Dudley pinned to the ground. Cold, merciless laughter filled the room and it was the last thing Dudley heard before a spell slammed into him with all the force of a bullet train and he knew nothing more.

Voldemort's red sheened eyes glared down at Dudley for a moment as if contemplating what to do with him. Harry's heart went cold at the myriad of thoughts going through Voldemort's head and he beat against the walls of the mental prison he found himself in. He could feel, from a distance, his scar burning, sharp stabbing pains from it making him dizzy even inside this corner of his mind. He could hear cold laughter coming once again from his mouth. His body was not his own anymore and he panicked as he realized that he had no way to wrest control of it from the more powerful dark wizard now that he had succeeded in taking complete control of it. His mind was at once numb and afire and he could make no move of his own free will.

:: I think I shall save the Muggle filth for last. :: Voldemort's cold voice echoed inside Harry's prison seeming to burn him. :: First I shall deal with the traitorous scum that called themselves my loyal servants. I shall let you watch of course: A reward for running away from me, my pet. Maybe I'll even allow you to torture them for me. You enjoyed it so much when you were my guest and you were rather creative with it at the time. ::

Harry could feel his mental body trembling and he back up until he hit the cold stone wall of his prison, covering his ears with his hands and squeezing his eyes shut against all sound and sight. _:: No...No...No. :: _He could hear Voldemort's evil laughter again and he shivered still more violently, thinking of all the pain and terror he'd already been through and what was yet to come.

:: When the Binding Ritual is complete I shall call you back to my side and you will be unable to resist any longer, Harry Potter. You will become my willing servant at last and I will own you body, magic and soul for the rest of your days. You will do anything to please you master, Harry...anything. You will even torture and kill those you once called friends and betray everything you once held so dear. With you at my side, in my control they will have lost their greatest weapon. Their hope will die and the Light will fail. The hero of the wizarding world shall betray it and when that happens it will fall to me. ::

Harry shook his head in denial, tears blurring his vision as Voldemort began to chant softly, his right hand over the cursed wound on Harry's left arm. It began to burn with an exquisite pain that shot up his arm like a red hot knife. Searing pain echoed in his scar, which was burning as if someone had place a red hot iron upon it. He grew dizzy again and the room seemed to swim in front of him, fading in and out and seeming to spin about madly. He cried out and fell to the floor of his prison, feeling his will slowly being overcome by another darker presence in his mind. He tried to fight it but in his weakened state it was a hopelessly one-sided battle. Already he could feel himself yielding to the power of the compulsion the Binding placed on him. His body was kneeling on the floor of the bedroom and he could hear his own weak voice taking the oath of eternal service to the Dark Lord. _:: No...No...No.:: _He could sense a flare of power as the Ritual was completed and the light in his prison dimmed. He felt an intense desire to please his new master filling him, heady as wine but all the while he was feeling it a part of his mind was screaming that this was not who he was. He was the savior of the wizarding world not it's destroyer. Voldemort himself appeared inside the room Harry was trapped in and gave him a look that clearly said that his torture was just beginning.

:: I think I shall leave this corner of your mind free so that you may witness what you've become and everything you are doing in my name. A fitting punishment for one who has defied me five times and who was prophesied to be my downfall, don't you agree::

Voldemort paced slowly toward Harry, who lay trembling on the floor. Voldemort smiled down at him and put out his hand causing Harry to float against the wall, where burning cold chains bound him to it. His red eyes gleamed in the dim light, merciless and cold and they stared into Harry's green eyes. Harry tried to look away but found that he could not, the compulsion was to powerful even here. Voldemort traced the line of Harry's jaw with a cold white finger and his scar burst with pain. Voldemort chuckled as Harry writhed under his touch. Then he swept from the room and with a snap of his fingers Harry's torturers reappeared around him as Voldemort accessed his memories of his capture and forced Harry to relive them again. Screams filled the air of his mental prison, echoing off the walls : Screams that no one in the real world would ever hear. :: This is but a taste of the punishment you'll receive for seeking to escape from me. ::

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Draco was just entering the sitting room of the safe house when he heard an noise from the direction of Harry's room. It sounded like a body hitting the floor to Draco. He knew Harry was still in a fevered sleep and Dudley had gone in to sit with him awhile but something didn't feel right to him. Draco frowned slightly and reached out his senses to check on them both. His magic brushed against something dark and his eyes widened. Snape looked up when he saw Draco standing in the doorway and he raised an eyebrow at the younger man. Draco motioned to Snape and made a hand signal that indicated danger nearby. Snape rose and drew his wand as Draco's hands flashed the agreed upon signal for Harry followed by the sign for Dark Magic. Snape had developed this silent way of communication between himself and others years ago when he started spying for Dumbledore so he could pass tidbits of information even in the midst battle. When Draco had unwillingly joined the Death Eater ranks this past summer and had come to Snape seeking a way out before he fell to far having somehow guessed that the Potion's Master was not as loyal as he claimed to be he had, with Dumbledore's permission, made him one of his operatives and had taught him the hand signals so that they could pass information between them even during Death Eater meetings without suspicion.

Draco wasn't sure how he knew that Harry was in graver danger than before but he did and he knew they only had moments in which to act. Silently the two men made their way down to Harry's room. They listened at the door a few moments but heard nothing unusual. Snape motioned for Draco to take up a position on one side of the door while he took up one on the other. They Disillusioned themselves and waited. Nothing happened for a little over five minutes but then the door to Harry's room opened and Harry stepped out. He looked up and down the hallway before heading in the direction of the sitting room.

Draco noticed there was something off about the way he was acting. Not only was he walking with a strange gait to his strides, and holding his wand loosely in his right hand as if he had no fear that someone might disarm him but his face was a blank, expressionless mask and there seemed to be something wrong with his eyes. It took Draco a few seconds to figure out what was wrong and when he did his heart froze in his chest. He canceled the Disillusionment spell on his left hand for a moment and gave the signal for Voldemort hoping that Snape was still in his position on the other side of the door.

Snape's eyes widened a fraction at the sign but he followed Harry_...no Voldemort..._down the hall and into the sitting room. Draco quickly followed both after ascertaining that Dudley had survived his encounter with the Dark Lord. Snape stood just inside the door while Draco remained in the doorway and they were both watching Voldemort as he stood stiffly before the fire, his wand still in that relaxed grip he favored. All was silent and still, not even the fire was making a sound.

That was all the warning they had before the world around them exploded into a raging inferno.

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Fawkes the phoenix was sitting calmly on his perch, watching the Headmaster study an ancient leather bound book that he had discovered in his vast personal library but that he hadn't remembered seeing before. It was a large hand-bound group of loose parchment bound in scarlet leather. Embossed on the front cover were two intertwined Gs and what appeared to be a highly stylized version of the crest worn by students in Gryffindor. The pages of the book appeared to be completely blank, at least to Dumbledore's eyes, though he could sense the magic that was embedded within them.

"Curious. " Dumbledore muttered and Fawkes trilled a soft note.

Clearly this book had appeared for a reason but that reason completely alluded him and not even the other Headmasters and Headmistresses could offer him advice on the matter. He sighed heavily and continued to stare at the book. He flipped through the blank pages again hoping he was missing something. As he was doing so words suddenly appeared on the front page. The handwriting was clear and precise and Dumbledore could read it without trouble.

_This spell journal is the property of the true Heir of Godric Gryffindor. A new Heir to my blood has been chosen in this hour and year A.D. 1996. Chosen by deeds of valor. Chosen by purity of heart. Chosen for depth of spirit and courageous soul. This journal is to be passed on to the Chosen One: Harry James Potter in his hour of need. May it aid him in his battle against the Dark._

Fawkes trilled a low note and Dumbledore petted the phoenix absentmindedly, his mind still reeling from this new piece of information. Harry was Gryffindor's Heir and the power of one of the Hogwarts Four ran in his veins. He got up from his desk and began to pace, thinking about what this could mean for the Light. He could feel his heart filling with unbridled hope for the first time during this time of darkness. If Harry was truly the Heir of Gryffindor then maybe they stood a chance after all. Legends stated that Gryffindor had powers no other wizard before or since had claimed. Time diluted power Dumbledore knew but Harry had been equal to Voldemort and had fought him to a draw at fourteen. The Goblet of Fire had selected him as a champion and there was little doubt in Dumbledore's mind that if there had not been an age restriction the Goblet would have selected Harry not Cedric as Hogwarts Champion because the Goblet chose champions based on, among other things, their power level. That had been one of his reasons for the age restriction in the first place, not that he believed for a moment that Harry would have put his name in on his own bur he'd wanted to be sure Harry was protected. Harry had bested the older, more experienced wizard in ever encounter since he was eleven and this new revelation explained much that had been a mystery to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore sat back down and steepled his fingers in front of him, lost in thought. Fawkes watched him with bright eyes occasionally ruffling his feathers to settle them causing flashes for false flame to light up the corner he was in. He began to preen his feathers to smooth them more preparing for sleep for the night was late and he was tired. Suddenly Fawkes felt an unusual serge of energy in the air and he recognized a familiar magical signature attached to it. His head whipped around and he stared out the darkened window toward the south. The song of a keening, wounded phoenix resounded in his mind. There was a flash of PhoenixFyre to the south and a faint voice called for help and in that instant an alarm sounded from one of Dumbledore's silver instruments.

Dumbledore jerked at the sound, his eye wide. Fawkes gave a trill of alarm and disappeared in a flash of flame as Dumbledore summoned his wand and cloak and made his way to the apparition point outside the Hogwarts wards. Harry was in danger and he was unsure he would able to get there in time. He hoped that whatever the danger was the others would be able to deal with it with Fawkes help until he could arrive.

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Snape and Malfoy were thrown through the opposite wall of the hallway and into another room where they lay stunned from the impact. When they came to themselves again they could see the flames licking away at the walls of the hall and Voldemort, red eyes gleaming, was walking through them as if they were merely an illusion. He laughed a cold laugh and the flames leapt and swirled around him in a dizzying pattern of heat and light. He stopped at the place were they lay helpless and looked down on them, his eyes full of pleasure at the pain on their faces and the blood that was being spilled.

"Ah...Severus...Draco... You have betrayed me and now you shall suffer for your transgressions." His voice was dangerously silky and he held them pinned to the floor with the power behind his gaze. He held his left hand, the fingers spread wide. "Crucio."

The spell hit both of them at once and it was pain like nothing they had ever felt before. Neither of them could think or even breath as wave after wave of pain assailed them. Their screams echoed off the burning walls and they continued to scream long after the spell was ended. Voldemort laughed and continued to torture them oblivious to the flames and burning debris that flew around him. Finally, he looked down at them and they knew by the look in his eyes that they were about to die. He pulled out Harry's wand and pointed it at Draco first.

Draco's gray eyes never left Voldemort's red ones. He stared at him unblinking and defiant, his body still twitching with the after effect of the last curse. In a last ditch effort to save Harry, Draco attempted to shield the later's mind from Voldemort's influence. For a brief instant control of his body returned to Harry and Draco could see anguish and despair in Harry's eyes. A tear made it's way down Harry's face and he mouthed _"I'm sorry." _before Draco was forced from his mind by Voldemort as he took back control of Harry's body.

Voldemort stared down at Draco with a cruel smile etched on Harry's face. He pointed Harry's wand directly at Draco's heart and hissed. "Avada Kedav..."

Voldemort stood frozen unable to finish the spell. Draco's touch in his mind had freed Harry from the prison of his mind. Following the path left behind by Draco's departure he took control of both his hands and mouth. Voldemort would be unable to cast anything for the next several seconds and that might be enough time for the others to do something. He sent out a mental call for help then he looked down at the two of them on the floor, his eyes briefly returning to their normal green before returning to red as the two minds within him fought for dominance.

"Hurry..." Harry ground out between clenched teeth as his wand hand trembled with the effort he was putting into not allowing Voldmort to cast the Killing Curse.

That was all they needed to hear. Snape and Malfoy raised themselves to their knees and pointed their wands at him. Draco quickly disarmed him and Banished his wand to the Headmaster's office while Snape imprisoned him within a glowing net of magic that would prevent him from casting wandless magic. At that moment Harry lost the battle of wills and Voldemort's red eyes once more gleamed from his eyes in the light of the flashing flames.

"Traitors! Do you really think your prison can hold me. "

Snape could feel Voldemort's magic pressing against the net that held him and he poured all of his power into keeping in place and he felt Draco adding his own power to it. As the three of them struggled all the flames around them died and there was the sound of phoenix song a second before Fawkes appeared in between them. For a split second Snape felt Voldemort attempting to break out of the net using Harry's powers instead of his own since the net was reacting to Dark Magic. Then Fawkes looked deeply into Harry's eyes and sang one high, clear note that seemed to hang in the air in front of them. Harry's body became ridged and a dark vapor seemed to flow out of every pour in his body. The vapor pooled on the floor around him for a second and then vanished completely into it.

Harry blinked slowly, his eyes once more deep emerald and he stared at Fawkes for a moment in confusion.

"Fawkes...how...I..." His voice was weak and sounded scratchy, as if he'd been screaming for hours.

Fawkes flew to his shoulder and began to preen his hair. He blinked again, his eyes wide. Then he looked down and saw Snape and Draco laying where they had fallen once more. His face paled at the sight of them as memories of what Voldemort had forced him to do washed over him. His face paled further when he saw the extent of the damage his raw power had done. His body began to tremble and he fell to the floor in a boneless heap, the world around him having gone dark as the fever he'd been experiencing over the last few days returning with a vengeance.

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Harry's world was reduced to unending pain in his scar and left arm and the burning sensation that surrounded him. He felt as if he was on fire and the only relief came from cool potions that slid down his throat and took away all feeling, leaving him numb. He couldn't seem to find the strength to open his eyes and he wasn't sure if he wanted to wake ever again. Everything hurt to much and he felt weaker than he ever remembered feeling. He knew he was very ill and that he was now at Hogwarts though how he knew either of those bits of information he wasn't sure. There were voices around him constantly but most of the time he couldn't make sense of anything they said and on the rare occasion he could understand he would only hear a word or two clearly before the voice or voices would fall back into indistinct incomprehensible mutterings.

"He's getting worse, Albus. " Snape looked down at Harry's pale, sweaty face as the boy twitched on the bed and muttered incoherently in a mixture of English and Parseltongue. He was clearly in the throws of another hallucination or perhaps even a vision.

Dumbledore turned from the window to look first at Snape and then at Harry who had started thrashing about on the bed rather violently as if in the throws of a Cruciatus Curse. He was moaning in pain though whether that pain was actual or imagined the Headmaster could not tell. He'd been through so much and now his suffering was multiplied because of the Mark. Dumbledore's voice sounded pained and there was such a look of sorrow and despair in his eyes that Snape had to look away. "Tell me what to do, Severus and I would gladly do it. Anything to end his suffering."

Snape looked up briefly at Dumbledore before his eyes returned to Harry's now trembling form. He wanted there to be some comfort he could offer the Headmaster, some miracle that could be performed that would cure Harry of all his ills or even just ease his suffering, which was growing worse by the day but he knew of nothing that could help. He shook his head. " There is nothing we can do until the fever abates."

When they'd arrived at Hogwarts a week ago Snape had been relieved to hear that the curse wound had healed and that the curse had been lifted. Snape reasoned that contact with a phoenix might have been enough to lift the curse but he'd been so concerned with the return of Harry's dangerously high fever that he failed to notice anything else even his own injures. It was only after Madame Pomfrey had healed his and Draco's wounds and she had determined that Dudley had been hit by a very powerful Stunner but would recover in time that he realized his mistake.

The curse had not been lifted by the boy's contact with Fawkes, it had vanished because Voldemort had performed the Sealing Ritual on the Lightening Mark he'd given Harry and had somehow gotten Harry to agree to serve him willingly. For all intents and purposes, Harry Potter now belonged to the Dark Lord at least insofar as the Ritual itself was concerned. The curse was making its way through Harry's system seeking his magical core but thus far it had been prevented from reaching it by the force of Harry's own will and his conviction that he would never join with the Dark. The struggle was causing Harry's fever to spike, weakening his body to a point where he was dangerously close to dying. It was also forcing him to relive his capture and torture by the Death Eaters, which was weakening his will. Soon he would have no choice but to succumb and let the curse corrupt his core. It was a forgone conclusion and one that Snape couldn't see a way out of. They were losing him an inch at a time and there was nothing Snape or anyone else could do about it. They were going to lose him. The darkness would claim him and when it did he would be lost to them forever.

Snape looked at the blood red mark on the boy's arm with revulsion and frowned. Even as he watched the Mark grew dark as did the scar on Harry's forehead. Harry's body convulsed on the bed and bloodcurdling screams rent the air. Harry's breath became labored and sweat poured off him to stain the sheets around him. The curse was making another attempt at his core aided by the Call. Snape could not bare to watch Harry's pain filled face and turned away. Briefly he wondered, knowing what he knew about the Mark Harry had been given and it's effects on the young wizard, if it might not be better for them to kill him now before he could be forced into Voldemort's service. He knew Harry would rather die than to serve his enemy and he could make it a painless death. Harry would simply slip away quietly and he would be free. He was just about to broach the subject with Dumbledore when he heard something that gave him pause. Harry was still fighting.

"Won't come...Never give in to the darkness...will not surrender..." Harry's voice was weaker than before and Snape knew that the wards around his bed, around the Hospital Wing and around Hogwarts itself were the only things preventing him from going to the Dark Lord right now. After a few moments struggle against the wards surrounding him the Mark returned to its normal color and Harry's body relaxed again.

Snape looked over at Dumbledore. He looked stricken and older than Snape could ever remember him looking. He moved away from the window and sat instead at one of the chairs that surrounded Harry's bed. He looked at the thin, pale boy whose face was contorted with pain as another hallucination gripped him, trying to wear down his will to fight. He took one of Harry's fevered hands into his own and bowed his head. He could not stand the suffering he was witnessing knowing that it was his fault that Harry was suffering in the first place. So many mistakes and missteps with the Potter's only child. So much the child still did not know of himself, of his connections to other wizarding families and the founders, of his powers, of his connection to Voldemort and what that meant. He looked up briefly into Harry's face willing the eyes to open and for everything to be as it was. Harry lay on the bed as still as death and for one moment Dumbledore and Snape both tensed, thinking he had died. Harry's eyes fluttered open and he looked around in confusion for a moment before they closed again. Dumbledore seemed to stir himself and he came to a decision. He looked up at Snape and his eyes were as serious as the Potion's Master had ever seen them.

"We must get Harry away from here and soon. My sources tell me that Voldemort is on his way here with an army of Death Eaters and Dark creatures. He wishes to claim what is his." His sad eyes fixed on Harry again, taking in the pale face with the air of someone who was trying to memorize the features of a loved one for the last time.

"If we leave here than we might as well just wait and hand the boy over to him when he arrives. He will take the boy the moment we leave or else he will Call and Harry will have no choice but to go to him, to become his pet and weapon." He looked down at Harry. "Better that he should be killed now so that he never falls into their hands again. How can you even be thinking such a thi..."

A wave of the Headmaster's hand silenced his tirade before he could really get started. He was surprised to see a calmness in Dumbledore's eyes that was not there before. "I will not hand Harry over to him, Severus, nor will I allow him to die. Surely you know me better than that. And who said anything about leaving Hogwarts."


	6. Journey

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**by Albus Severus Gryffindor**_

**Author's Note: **I've really surprised myself this week. I managed to update both my stories. Hope you enjoy this chapter. If you have any questions or if something is not clear then please feel free to pm me or put it in your review.

**Part Six: Journey**

_Because I'm never going over to the Dark Side- Harry Potter (Philosopher's Stone)_

_No. You'll never be alone. When darkness falls you know I'm never far. Hear the whispers in the dark.- Whispers in the Dark-Skillet_

The journey to the Ancient's Gate took a fortnight to complete by non-magical means. As much as they wanted to arrive there as quickly as possible all of them had come to the conclusion that traveling by Muggle means at least as far as the Great Forest was a wise idea. They had no wish to have Aetren notice their movements. They could not afford to have the one mentioned by the prophecy captured, nor could they risk drawing attention to the fact that he would soon arrive. The less their enemies knew or even suspected the better for them all.

Selene stared at the overcast sky above her wishing the sun would show it's bright face once more. The low hanging clouds unnerved her for some reason. It was almost as if they were not natural somehow. They were still miles from Aetren's fortress so any magical interference should be minimal at best but still the clouds felt strangely oppressive. She shivered under her thick cloak as she watched the angry clouds swirl overhead and felt a sudden cold wind on her neck.

All of them were feeling the same way Selene was. Salazar's dark eyes swept the area behind them from his position as rear guard as if he expected at any moment to be attacked from behind. His stance on the borrowed stallion was deceptively relaxed but the hand on the hilt of his sword was white knuckled and he kept shifting his wand arm as if preparing to draw it from it's hidden sheath. Rowena and Helga's sharp eyes watched for any hint of attack from the sides, sending out their magic to scan for the presence of people other than themselves and setting traps for anything with dark intent that might be following. Godric was at point and he kept his eyes trained on the path ahead, seeking out enemies that might think a direct approach would be best to remove them from the world, his hand on the great silver and ruby sword at his side and his face determined.

They had been in the forest for a little over an hour and they were all beginning to be unnerved by the lack of attacks or even the presence of anything out of the ordinary for a wooded area. They had expected to have to fight their way in since the forest was a place regularly patrolled by the minions of the Dark Lord and a place where several of their own scouts had been lost but thus far they had encountered nothing. The total lack of patrols or even normal animal noises made it feel as if they were walking into a trap. But they couldn't be could they? Surely no one knew of the Prophecy Selene herself had uttered nor what they were really going to do. They had told their brothers and sisters in arms that they were going on patrol to seek a weakness in Aetren's lines and perhaps managed some form of contact with some allies outside. Everyone had seemed to believe them but... Selene shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself. She would not allow herself to think such things. There was no traitor in their ranks. Everyone was loyal to the Founders.

After another hour of oppressive silence and the feeling that something unfriendly was watching them, they finally arrived at the clearing that held the Ancients Gate. The clearing was empty save for the ancient, crumbling stone archway at it's center and the tingle of the magic that lay within the stones. There was a sense of peace within the clearing and they all entered it without a thought that they might be exposing themselves to danger. This was a place of Light and so no evil could not enter it with great damage. They had gotten halfway to the Gate itself when Aetren sprung his trap.

Several dark creatures surrounded the Founders before they even realized it had happened, so concentrated were they on reaching the Gate and the savior that they were sure would be arriving any moment now. An icy cold filled the air, freezing their breath in their chests and a glowing cage appeared around them. For a split second they struggled for breath enough to cast a Spell of Release as they saw blood red robed figures appearing within the clearing. The newly arrived wizards aimed their wands at the five and they found themselves disarmed and bound with burning ropes. The Dark wizards moved forward at the same instance that a blinding white light filled the clearing and four figures materialized from inside the archway.

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The pain he was in had receded to a dull, throbbing ache from the sharp stabbing pain it had been before. The burning, aching feeling that had wrapped itself tightly around him was washed away by a flood of cool liquids that were being poured down his throat by gentle hands. Voldemort's cold, commanding voice, which had been incessantly commanding him to come had vanished from his mind. He felt himself relaxing for the first time in ages and he let himself drift for a time, not wanting to return to a world that held such torment and pain for him. He wished he could remain drifting forever. He had no wish to return if his life was going to be one of continued agony for him.

He slowly came to the realization that he was returning to consciousness. He could feel the warm softness of the blankets that covered him as well as the mattress underneath him. He could feel the scratchy linen of the a bandage around his left arm and the protective magics that had been woven into every strand of it. He could smell the antiseptic smell of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing that he'd visited so often in the last five years. He almost smiled until he remembered why he was there.Voldemort had taken control of him again, had made him a puppet to use against his friends. He felt anger serge through him but it was tempered by an intense and almost overwhelming need to please the Dark Lord. His anger slipped away and was replaced with loathing and disgust at himself for being so weak as to fall like he had. This too slipped away and was replaced with fear of what he was becoming. He was a danger to everyone around him: His friends, the Order, Dumbledore. Everyone. He needed to leave now before he put anyone else in danger. His friends would understand. He had to get away now before anyone realized he was gone. He couldn't stand the idea that he might hurt his close friends like he had Snape, Draco and Dudley at the safe house or that he might in fact be ordered to either kill them or watch as they died at the hands of another.

Very slowly and with a certain amount of trepidation he opened his eyes, not wanting there to be anyone around so that he could leave unhindered. At first he thought that maybe the Wing was empty and that he could implement his plan right away but before he'd even made a move to get out of bed he found Snape, Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore himself at his side. He sank back down on the mattress and looked between the three of them, angry at himself for taking to much time to think things through.

"Welcome back, Harry." Dumbledore's voice was serious and his eyes were not twinkling. For some reason this made Harry nervous and he sat up to see them all better. He looked between the Hogwarts nurse and Snape, trying to get a sense of what was going on but their faces gave away nothing.

Harry turned his eyes back to the Headmaster and said very softly and in a stricken voice, "I'm sorry, sir. I... I'm..."

Dumbledore sat down next to the now trembling boy, whose wide fearful eyes were fixed on something only he could see. His heart went out to the stricken boy and he very much wished that there was something he could do to ease his fears and sorrow. Harry's eyes filled with tears that ran silently down his face as his despair and fear overwhelmed him.

"I'm...His weapon now...His puppet...I can't..." He felt the need to please Voldemort curl through his system like a poisonous adder and he shivered involuntarily. "I..."

"You've given us quite a scare." Dumbledore said with a calm he did not feel. He merely wanted Harry to relax and think things through.

Harry shook his head. Didn't they know how dangerous he was now. Voldemort could control him at a whim even from within Hogwarts wards. He was not safe, they were not safe with him here. Even though he could not hear Voldemort's Call at the moment, there was still an insistence pull in his mind and he felt a deep burning need to go to his Master...

Harry shook his head to clear it of the image of red, burning eyes boring into his own and the room came back into focus. He locked eyes with Snape and the man grimaced slightly as if acknowledging that Voldemort was indeed calling his minions to him. He looked back at Dumbledore, needing him to understand how things were for him now but not really wanting to voice a truth that he had not yet accepted.

"Sir...I don't want to hurt anyone else. He can control me and..." He stopped a moment as the reality of the situation overcame him again and tears began to fall anew from his eyes. In a strained whisper he continued. "I'm His now and nothing can change that."

Dumbledore looked into the pain filled eyes and saw a hopelessness in them that he'd never seen in Harry's eyes before. He sighed heavily and took Harry's left hand in his own to calm him. The hand was quickly yanked out of his grasp and Harry cradled it in his right. He stared off into space for several minutes, his eyes blank and unreadable. Then he blinked and looked at the three of them again, his eyes full of fear and pleading. Dumbledore moved to hug the traumatized boy to him but Harry flinched and moved away from him.

"Please...just kill me...I don't want to...He'll make me watch..." His voice trembled slightly and was so soft that they barely heard him at all. Then he started pounding on the mattress in front of him with both fists. "Why me? Am I not allowed on moment's peace? Is one day of happiness to much to ask? It's not fair! Damn Voldmort! Damn the Prophecy! I just want to be free!"

He fell back onto his pillows and stared angrily at the ceiling, his magic causing a swirling wind to happen around him though it struck nothing and therefore did no damage. He wanted it to end, to be free of it all. Fate was asking to much of him. Besides he was now much to dangerous to be allowed his freedom or his life to continue. He was Voldemort's weapon now and who knew how much information the Dark Lord had managed to gain from him. Most of his captivity was a blur of torture and pain. He had no real idea of what he may have been asked or what information he'd been forced to divulge.

"You have to kill me. His coming for me and He will make me go to Him. Do it now before He turns me against all of you. I don't want to hurt anyone else. I don't want to be forced to watch you die or to have you die at my hand. Please...I'm begging you. Release me from this...Please."

Harry's voice was strained and the fear and despair clung to him like an invisible but nevertheless real cloak. Dumbledore's eyes were full of sympathy and Snape felt a shudder pass over him. He understood completely what Harry was feeling and perhaps he was one of the few who did. His own Dark Mark caused a similar feeling within him since the day he'd taken it. Even the Call made him feel it and in Harry's cause that Call, the pull to obey not only Voldemort's summons but his every word or order, had been increased a hundredfold because the Dark Lord had known Harry would fight it with everything that he had. The Dark Lord had done everything to ensure that Harry would be in his complete control with no chance or hope for escape as soon as the Bonding Ritual was completed. Only the finality of death could free him completely.

Even as he thought this though, Snape knew he could not kill him. He had briefly considered that option before but he had come to the conclusion that he could not do it. Harry was Lily's child, his one last reminder of happy times. He could not kill her son, could not destroy that last link he had to Lily Evans. Even if Voldemort controlled him, Harry was still the only hope of defeating him they had. He could not die, not yet. Briefly he wondered if this was also a part of the Dark Lord's ultimate plan. He had to know that they would rather lose their own lives then to risk Harry's. He must also know that they would rather Harry killed them all then to allow harm to come to him at their hands.

Harry's pleading eyes found Snape and Snape shook his head in a barely perceptible way. Harry's face crumpled and he began to pick at the bandages encasing his left arm, his vision clouded and his mouth set in a grim line. Finally, after several moments silence, he looked at them again, with no emotions whatsoever in his dulled green eyes.

"If you won't do it then I will." His voice was distant and emotionless but fear moved over him nearly paralyzing him in it's grip. "Don't you understand, He'll use me against you and I'll be forced to watch it all, powerless to stop it. I don't...I can't..."

Dumbledore looked deeply into Harry's panic stricken eyes and for some reason the whine of fear in Harry's head subsided.

"That's why we're sending you away to a place far from Voldemort's influence."

Harry's eyes widened but he shook his head. "There is no place I can go that He would not be able to follow. He can find me or Call me from anywhere."

"I swear to you that where we'll send you will be safe from him. You will be able to regain your old strength and perhaps even find a way to break the hold Voldemort has over you." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again while Harry merely looked at his mentor with stunned disbelief in his eyes. This could not be true. He could not allow himself to hope that it was.

"How...?" He held himself apart, once more closing off his emotions. He did not want to dare hope that Dumbledore had found a way to save him only to have it dashed later.

"I will be sending you to some people who may very well hold the key to freeing you and making you whole again. I will send you back in time, back to the era when this school was first founded. i will send you through the Founder's Gate.

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Several hours later Harry was alone again in the Hospital wing still trying to understand and process all the information that Dumbledore and Snape had told him. The Founder's Gate was a mysterious magical object that lay within the very heart of Hogwarts that could only be activated in times of great need. No one had used it in centuries and it was thought to be merely a legend much like the Chamber of Secrets. The last recorded use of it, according to Dumbledore had been sometime in the fourteenth century during a time when a wizarding plague was sweeping across the land. The Headmaster of the day in desperation had send his potions master and a healer through in an attempt to find a cure. They had returned with it and with tales of having met the Founders. Thus the gate had been renamed to Founder's Gate and it was called by that name from that time on.

Dumbledore, as the current Head of Hogwarts, knew the exact location of the Gate and how it was warded. It required the presence of the Head of Hogwarts and a proclaimed Heir of any one of the Four Founders to activate the Gate. Harry had looked at the Headmaster in confusion for a few moments before Dumbledore informed him that he'd be declared Heir to Godric Gryffindor a few weeks previous. He'd been given a leather bound book and a talisman that had once belonged to his house's founder after Dumbledore had revealed this. The book was in his rucksack so he could take it with him into the past but he was wearing the talisman now. It was a beautiful thing: A gold medallion with small ruby chips around its edge. There was a stylized lion rampant on it above the word _VIRTUS_ on the obverse side while on the reverse side it had only a bolt of lighting shaped very much like the scar on his forehead.

He was descendant of Gryffindor through both the Potter and Peverell lines since Gryffindor's daughters had married into those families in ancient days. Harry wasn't sure how to feel about this revelation. He knew he should be proud and at one time this news would have made him extremely happy but he couldn't bring himself to feel anything but numb. He didn't deserve to be happy. He was nothing now. Voldemort had seen to that from the beginning. He couldn't even muster hatred for the Dark Lord anymore because the Mark blocked how he truly felt about him under the compulsion. He was just a slave of the Dark Lord and Voldemort was his Master.

He could feel the Call curl through his body and the attached compulsion kicked in again. He gripped the sheets around him in a white-knuckled grip as he waited for it to pass. His scar burned with a white-hot pain but he merely held his mouth tightly closed, cutting off the moan of pain that was struggling to get out. Voldemort was close, so very close and Harry could feel the Call sweep over him slowly weakening his will to resist, though he remained motionless on the bed.

He could feel the wards around him flare as they struggled to repel the Call at such close range and to keep him from answering. He grimaced as sharp stabbing pains traveled up and down the Mark that grew stronger the longer he refused to respond to the Call. He closed his mouth against the hiss of pain that would have been his response to the ache in his arm. He didn't want to bring it to the attention of the Matron or the others. If they thought he was in pain or feeling in any way ill again then they would not allow him to see his friends before he left them for who knew how long.

Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna had all been demanding to see him since they learned he'd returned to the castle but they had not been allowed to see him until everyone was sure he was safe and not under Voldemort's influence. He had asked to be allowed to see them before he left again so that they knew he was still alive and why he had to leave again so soon without them. He'd known Ron and Hermione since his first year and they were his two best friends in the world. Neville, Ginny and Luna had become good and loyal friends to him during the troubles of his fifth year. They were the ones that had offered to go with him to rescue Sirius and who had fought by his side against the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. He didn't want to leave them, possibly forever, without telling them goodbye. They deserved that much courtesy from him even if he never was able to return here.

He felt the Call weaken until it was a mere whisper in his mind. The pain in his arm and head subsided into a dull ache and he let out a sigh of relief that it had passed so quickly. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax a bit. He need to collect himself and put on a good front with his friends. He didn't want to worry them, particularly when he was going to be leaving them so soon after seeing them. Soon he'd fallen into a light sleep the struggle against the Call having sapped most of the energy from him.

Hermione was the first of Harry's friends to enter the Hospital Wing a few moments later, closely followed by Ron and Neville. Ginny and Luna would be arriving in a few more minutes after having to make the trip to the Wing from Potions in the dungeons. Hermione saw Harry laying in a bed at the far end of the ward and had to stop herself from running to his side. Instead the three of them made their way to his bedside and looked down at his sleeping form. His eyes were closed and his face relaxed. He was still very pale and much too thin from his ordeal but they were glad to see that he looked like the Harry they remembered, though with the addition of a pale, thin scar that slashed across his left cheek.

Ron stared at this scar for several moments wondering what else would be different about his best friend. Guilt twisted his insides as he noticed the shadows under his friend's closed eyes and another set of twisting scars that wreathed his right wrist. He felt that he should have stopped Harry from leaving their compartment alone. He knew how depressed Harry was about Sirius's death and how he longed to join him through the Veil. He should have said something about calling for the rest of the D.A. to join them. He could remember it clearly.

_The train had given a sickening lurch and had come to a complete stop in the middle of bridge over a deep black lake. Students were screaming in sudden fear and some of the more curious , like Ron, had peeked their heads out of their compartments in an effort to see what was happening. The lights flickered for a moment before becoming duller. They did not go out completely but the light they gave was weaker than normal. The three of them had looked at one another and both Ron and Hermione were glad to see a spark of life in Harry's eyes that had been missing since Sirius's death. They had all drawn their wands and Harry was just about to send a call for the D.A. when cold, merciless voice broke over the entire train, echoing down it. It's coldness seemed to pierce them all._

_'I know you are here, Harry Potter. If you do not wish any more deaths on your account then come to the Prefect's Carriage in half an hour. If you do not come or if your pathetic band of children attempts to hide you from me or to defend you in any way then we will begin with torturing and killing the first years we have with us one at a time until you do. Make your choice carefully, Potter. Lives depend on it.'_

_There were more screams and shouts echoing down their own compartment as siblings realized that their younger brothers or sisters were missing. The three of them had stared at one another for several moment trying to think of a way out of this without giving Voldemort what he wanted. Harry's face had gone completely pale and a cold, icy shiver had passed through him. He looked at the two of them for a second his eyes a burning green that showed no fear, gave them a sad half smile and left the compartment before they could even move. By the time they had managed to move and had asked a passing student where he was, he was so far ahead of them that they knew they would arrive far to late to save him. _

Ron and Hermione understood why he'd done what he'd done but that didn't make the reality of his willing sacrifice any easier to deal with. They'd spent the summer holidays trying to come to terms with it and there were still time when it threatened to overwhelm them. Neville, Ginny and Luna were also affected by the loss of Harry and very often the six of them could be found together having formed a tighter knit group in the wake of Harry's capture. They had been overjoyed at the news of his rescue and that he'd managed to survive again when all odds were against it but their joy was tempered by the knowledge of the torture he had been put through. They desperately wanted things to return to normal but knew that things would never be quite the same again.

Ron was snapped out of his musings by the arrival of Ginny and Luna who were both looking flustered and out of breath. They all took seats around Harry's bed and waited. Harry could feel their eyes on him from all sides and it took all of his control not to flinch as the feeling of being trapped almost sent him into a flashback. He waited a few minutes for his heart to stop racing before he opened his eyes. His friends jumped in surprise and he couldn't help the grin that slid onto his face. The others were startled by the look of pain and suffering in his normally bright green eyes and noticed that though he was grinning fit to burst there was no happiness reflected in them. Ginny was the first to speak, never taking her eyes off Harry's.

"Professor Dumbledore said you wanted to see us?" Ginny finally torn her eyes away from Harry's pain filled ones. How could he still be sane after what he'd been through? All the pain, suffering and torture he'd gone through was reflected in his eyes. It was so much more than anyone should have had to go through and she wondered if he would ever completely recover from his ordeal. Would things ever be the same again?

Harry frowned in mock anger. "What no 'Hello, how are you'?"

The group around him chuckled weakly and Harry realized that his joke had fallen flat. Harry sat up and cradled his left arm with his right, staring at it thoughtfully. The others looked at it curiously and watched Harry closely. He continued to look at it for a few moments, his hand rubbing the bandages self-consciously. He was afraid things would change between them if he told them but could see no way of avoiding the issue of the Mark. Taking a hold of what little courage he had left he lifted his eyes from it and looked at his friends.

"There are some things you need to know about what happened to me." His voice was softer than it had been before his capture, almost a whisper as if he'd damaged his vocal cords or voice box. He looked at his left arm again and back at them. Then he swallowed and looked away, his eyes misting over with tears. "This is difficult..."

"Take your time, Harry." Hermione's voice drifted over him as if from far away. He stared at a patch of clear, blue sky he could see from the window and let the image of flying fill him. He tried to clear his mind of all thought. It sometimes helped but not this time. He took a deep breath and returned his gaze to the bandage that hid the Mark from his sight. He didn't want to see their reaction when he told them. He couldn't bare to see their faces turn from him.

"When V...Voldemort captured me he did more then just torture me. " His voice was devoid of emotion and he shivered at the use of his adversary's name, which the other noticed right away. "He...He also Marked me."

He held up his left arm by way of explanation and heard everyone's sharp intact of breath. He rubbed his arm again and after a prolonged silence that seemed to last an eternity to Harry he risked a look at his friends. They were all wore identical looks of shock and disbelief on their faces.

"But that would mean that..." Neville began.

"He has control over me now. Yes." Harry said this with a finality that suggested that he had already resigned himself to his fate.

"But surely there must be a way to break the Binding." Hermione looked at him with hope but he merely smiled sadly at her and shook his head.

" 'Once accepted it cannot be undone or unmade by any spell, potion or charm.' That's what Snape told me." He looked at his friends closely. "I never asked for this willingly, I never actually agreed to the Binding, it was forced from me because Voldemort knew I would be unwilling. Snape thinks because of that there is small chance that it could be broken."

"We'll find a way, mate." Ron's voice was full of determination and he glanced at Hermione who nodded in agreement.

Neville clapped him on the back and it was all he could do to prevent himself from flinching away from the contact. "Don't worry, Harry. We'll all help. I'm sure between the five of us we can think of something. Right?"

Ginny and Luna nodded looking at him in sympathy. He dropped his gaze from them again and cleared his throat. Ginny took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He looked up at her and she smiled at him. He returned her smile and for some reason he felt much better about everything that had happened. His friends were there for him and everything would be all right someday. They would never desert him or leave him to face this alone. Suddenly he was very glad he had met them all. They were the best friends he could have ever asked for.

"You will regain all you have lost, Harry." said Luna in her dreamy voice "Voldemort has not taken all from you, it merely remains hidden away even from him."

Harry looked at Luna with a dumbfounded expression but at the same time he felt the first stirrings of hope in his heart. How strange that she was always able to say the right thing at the right moment and stranger still that it always managed to be something he needed to hear.

"V...Voldemort's on his way here looking to claim me. I can't fight the pull of the Calling for long once he gets here. Because of this Dumbledore and Snape have decided to send me into hiding somewhere far away from His influence. Once in a place of safety I'll be able to heal and grow strong again while we figure out a way to free me from the Mark. I can't ask you to come with me nor can I tell you where I'm going. It'll be safer if you don't know. Just trust me that where I'm going is safe and that this is for the best. " His voice had grown softer as he spoke. The time had come to say goodbye to his old life at least for a time. He had no idea where he was going or what would happen when he returned but for the protection of everyone else and for his friends he had to leave.

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An hour later found Harry, Dudley, Draco, Snape and Dumbledore deep in the heart of the castle. The high ceilinged room they were standing in held nothing else except a tall, crumbling stone archway that reminded him of the archway that Sirius had fallen through a few months previous. Try as he might he couldn't get the image of his Godfather falling in a graceful arc through the Veil out of his mind and a shiver ran through him that he was unable to suppress. He had to continually remind himself that this was not the same archway and that Dumbledore himself had declared it safe to pass through.

The Headmaster and Snape were conversing in low tones in the doorway of the room, while Dudley and Draco were exploring the room. Harry sat leaning against the wall watching the play of torchlight on the rough stone walls, trying to keep his mind pleasantly blank as the room reminded him of Voldemort's dungeons combined with the Death Room. He did not want to have another 'episode' here that would leave him both physically and magically drained since they had no clear idea of what they would meet on the other side once they crossed. As it was he felt weaker than normal physically, magically and mentally due to the struggle against the Call.

Draco and Dudley returned from their explorations of the room talking in excited whispers that made Harry curious about what they had found. They sat down on neither side of him still talking about the glowing purple lichen they'd seen and an opening they'd discovered that might possibly lead to caverns beyond this room. Harry was just about to ask them what they'd seen that made them think there was anything beyond this room when he cried out in pain, nearly doubling over with the force of it. His scar was flaming agony and his arm was full of sharp stabbing pains. He could feel the force of the Call as it pounded through his being destroying all resistance to it at last. Voldemort was so very near now, maybe even at the very gates of Hogwarts itself. The room around him slid in and out of focus and he could hear nothing but the Call and felt nothing but the desire to answer it, to please his Master. _He needed to go. His Master was calling for him._

Dudley jerked Harry to his feet and he stumbled into the heavier boy, his hand still on his scar and his face a mask of pain as he attempted to resist the Call again though it already had a strong hold on him. The world around him became dark and he could neither see nor hear anyone. The only voice he could hear was his Master's and all he could see in the depths of the blackness around him were Voldemort's burning red eyes that promised him both pleasure and pain.

"Come my Pet...Come to me...come to your Master." A shudder passed through him and his body became stiff. He could feel himself slipping away into deeper darkness. He continued to struggle even though he knew it was a hopeless battle. He had nothing left to give, his powers were fading as was his will to fight.

"Severus, we need to leave now." said Draco as he took a hold of Harry's other side even though it was a struggle to maintain his grip on the frantically struggling boy. Then, thankfully, Harry seemed to pass out though his body still twitched as if being struck by something no one could see.

Snape spun to face them and saw Harry's slumped form between them. He turned and nodded sharply to Dumbledore. "Don't worry. We will do everything in our power to make sure Harry is safe. I just hope our theories are correct."

"They must be. It's the only choice we have. The Founders will help him break the curse. At least there he will have a chance to regain his strength without Voldemort's interference. Stay safe and may Merlin guard you."

"Stay safe yourself."

The four of them stepped through the Gate and they vanished from the present in a blinding flash of white light.

"Good luck, Harry and may Merlin protect and keep you for harm." Dumbledore left and sealed the room from admitting anyone other than those who had passed through the Founder's Gate today. Now not even the Heir of Slytherin nor any other Hogwarts Head would be able to enter the room. Dumbledore was now ready to face almost certain death with the knowledge that he had thwarted Voldemort for the final time. He only hoped the delay would be enough for Harry to grow in his powers and to heal.


	7. Founders

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**By A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's Note: **Here's a new chapter for you all. Hope you enjoy it. I found this one hard to write for some reason that I can't fathom. Enjoy and if there are any questions feel free to pm or post it in your reviews.

**Chapter Seven: Founders**

_I got shot through a space not long ago/Thought I knew the place so well/It wasn't the same, now it goes to show/Sometimes you never can tell.-__**Doubleback- ZZTop**_

_(Nothing to lose)/Nothing to gain/Hollow and alone/And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own- **Somewhere I belong-Linkin Park**_

Gate travel was worse than even Apparition. That was Snape's though as he seemed to fall through an intense, empty and never ending blackness. The darkness around him seemed to press into his eyeballs, into his very mind. He felt he was the only one falling, the only one who was going into the unknown. He felt truly alone and that thought frightened him beyond imagining. Then his senses came into play and he could hear the others around him again. He was not as alone as he thought and he felt relief move over him. He could hear Draco and Dudley attempting to calm Harry, and Harry's incoherent cries and moans of pain as the punishment for failing to answer the Call racked his body and mind.

After what seemed like an eternity of free falling through cold blackness there was a bright flare of light and they stumbled through the same archway they had first passed through in their own time. They were in a shaded forest clearing full of ancient trees far larger than anything they had seen before. Harry fell panting to the ground, a hand on the scar that was still burning on his forehead. He couldn't breath or even think, the pain was so bad. He knelt there muttering curses under his breath, his body trembling with the pain that was ghosting through it, barely aware of the others. Dudley knelt down beside him, trying to help him but he kept waving the assistance off.

Snape was about to kneel down to when he noticed a number of red robed figures with wands pointed at five bound captives. The red robed wizards had flinched back from the light caused by the Gate's activation but then they turned their wands on the newcomers as well. Snape and Draco moved so that they were in front of Harry and his cousin their own wands drawn so fast that the other wizards hadn't seen it done. Harry was still dazed by the punishment for refusing a Call and the journey itself. Dudley was trying to place a shield around Harry's mind and to calm him. Neither one would be any use in a fight at the moment and a fight was exactly what this looked to be.

Several of the red robed wizards moved to surround them and they called for the aid of several dark creatures of a type that neither Draco nor himself had seen before. They were tall, skeletally thin creatures with ebony black skin and fiercely burning blue eyes. They wore no clothing and carried no weapons save for the glowing blue fire that was cupped in each hand. Their faces were curiously flat and they had no mouths that Snape could see. Power seemed to radiate from them, a dark, evil power that seemed to cast the whole area around them into darkness. Snape and Draco pointed their wands at the creatures but made no other move to attack.

The creatures, whatever they were, ignored them, floating by them without even attacking. It was clear that they were more interested in Harry than anyone else for they were coming at him from all sides, converging on him as if he and his powers were a feast to them. Snape very much feared that the powers Harry possessed now were like a feast to these creatures but he found himself frozen to the spot, unable to act or even move. They flung the others away from his side and into the waiting arms of the Dark Wizards who bound them and threw them to the ground with their other prisoners.

A tall, auburn-haired man moved away from the prisoners and walked through the creatures who'd surrounded Harry. They parted for him, lowering their heads in submission to him. He stared at Harry, who'd managed to back himself against a tree in an effort to guard his back. He stood there with his back pressed against the great tree, breathing heavily and with a petrified look on his face. The boy held no wand with which to defend himself and he looked so weak and sickly that were it not for the reaction of the daemons Zolaren would have dismissed this child as irrelevant and good for nothing more that perhaps becoming a slave. As it was he knew this must be the child the prophecy referred to. The power he held was so great even he could feel it.

"We mean you no harm, Child of the Phoenix. We merely wish to help you if you would allow." The voice was rich and there was a power in it that lead any who heard it to belief what was said or to obey the one who spoke with such a power behind their voice.

Harry stood there but made no move or sound, though his eyes darted around the circle as if seeking a way out. His mind was still reeling from Voldemort's attack on it. He held a trembling hand to his forehead again, the pain still lingering in it though the Call had subsided to nothing as soon as the Gate had closed.

"Come, we will take you to our Master. He can heal all your sorrows."

With those words Harry's mind suddenly snapped back into sharp focus and his clouded vision cleared. "No!"

The word reverberated through the clearing though it was spoken in a firm, soft voice. Snape and the others could feel their spirits lift at the tone of the voice that spoke for it was a tone that they were used to hearing from Harry, the commanding, sure tone of someone who would never give in to darkness no matter what. It appeared that a part of Harry's fighting spirit was still alive and well, though deeply hidden. His eyes were blazing defiantly at the man in front of him and a ripple of power moved through the clearing as a warning.

"Insolent whelp! You will not have a choice. You **will** come with me now back to Master Aetren." He looked deeply into Harry's eyes and for a brief moment Harry felt as if he were floating in nothingness but then the sensation lifted and he glared coldly at the man.

"I won't."

Zolaren backhanded him and he fell to the ground, his lip split and his cheek on fire with pain. His vision was swimming again and his eyes locked with the intense fiery blue ones of one of the creatures as it advanced on him. Harry rose from the ground though there was nothing holding him up and a tortured scream filled the clearing. In an instant he was back in the cell he'd been given and Voldemort himself was standing over him, a look of maniacal glee in his burning red eyes. The creature had pulled one of Harry's worst memories to the fore of his mind, forcing Harry to relive it in every detail, in order to restrain and torment the young wizard.

Harry grabbed his head and tried to force the creature out but it was to no avail. He was simply to weak, to tired to fight anymore. In a last effort to save himself he flung his left arm over his eyes hoping that breaking eye contact would be enough to free himself. As he did so the bandage around his arm fell away, revealing the Lightening Mark beneath. There was a loud, keening wail from the creatures around him as they drew back from it. Then Harry's power pulsed, flaring to life around him in a glowing nimbus of red, gold light. There was a rushing sound and a golden song filled the clearing seconds before there was a blinding flash of red light. The creatures and other minions of the Dark Lord vanished from the clearing and Harry slumped bonelessly to the ground where he lay panting with exhaustion. The last thing he saw was Draco breaking the spell that held them bound and Dudley rushing to his side before the world slipped away from him completely.

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There was a comfortable warmth all around him and for the first time in ages he relaxed, letting both his mind and body drift within it. There was nothing that disturbed his deep slumber: no thoughts of Voldmort, not the pain he was sure his nebulous body was in, not the burning sensation that had flooded his magical channels a moment or several moments prior. There was simply nothingness. His mind was completely blank and, for once, completely silent and he reveled in that fact. From a great distance away he could feel movement and hear voices but neither of those things seemed important enough to him at the moment. He wanted...no deserved a long, unbroken rest. He let himself drift away from all sensation of life for a time.

Snape laid Harry down on the bed they'd created from a Cushioning Charm and several fur-lined cloaks donated willingly by the five whom Harry had rescued. He knew that they had found the Hogwarts Founders (he'd seen enough of their portraits in his life to recognize them) and that they must be curious as to the reason for their timely arrival but Harry's life was his first priority right now. He cast several diagnostic spells over him and sighed in relief. The boy was in a deep sleep caused by nothing more dangerous than magical exhaustion. Otherwise he was completely unhurt and he should wake in a few hours at most. Dudley and Draco had knelt down at Harry's other side and were relieved when Snape told them that he would be perfectly fine once he'd had a chance to rest. The two boys looked at each other and then back at Snape, who stood up. He nodded at them and made his way over to where the Founders sat grouped around the fire that Draco had conjured. They had been watching the strangers wearily as they had helped the sickly one.

Godric eyed the other man as he made his way over to them, then his eyes turned to the other young men as they helped the sickly third to get comfortable. The richly dressed pale blond had conjured a lean-to around the sickly one hoping to keep the wind and chill from his companion, while the larger one had given a nod to the other and then sat down with his back to fire, clearly keeping watch over them both. He was not as richly dressed as the other three were and at first Godric had thought he was some kind of servant. It was clear however that the others were treating him as an equal.

The pale, black-haired boy who lay within a cocoon of blankets and cloaks was the most interesting though. The power that radiated from him was vast but that power was encased in a body that looked so frail and weak that Godric was surprised the child had not already died from attempting to use such power. He wondered what the source of the boy's illness was. He was so pale and gaunt, like he was suffering from some wasting disease. Was he perhaps the victim of a plague of some kind? Was he a danger to them and others?

"He is not ill, at least not in the way you fear. His illness stems from recent and prolonged captivity at the hands of a Dark Wizard." the dark-haired man had noticed Godric's look and the concern Godric saw in Snape's eyes made him relax. "I am called Severus. I am guardian of these three. The young man guarding us is called Dudley. He uses magic of the mind. The tall pale blond is Draco and the black-haired one is called Harry."

"Godric Gryffindor." The man called Severus inclined his head.

"Thank Merlin you arrived when you did good sirs. We would have been dead were it not for your timely rescue." said a young witch with wavy black hair. "Selene Twelawny at your service."

Severus bowed to her and the other two woman just behind her who returned curtsies at him. The second man remained silent though his dark eyes watched everything closely. Snape was just about to explain who they were and why they were here when Harry began to whimper in fear and to toss and turn within his blankets.

"No...Don't kill him please...No sir, please don't sacrifice yourself for me...I'm not worth it. I'll go to him...Leave him alone...Take me instead...I'm the one you want so take me...No!"

Harry's scream pierced through Snape's soul and echoed into the forest around them. For a moment Harry jerked awake, sitting up in his makeshift bed to stare unseeingly at Snape before muttering something only Draco heard and falling back into unconsciousness again. The scar on his forehead had been standing out lividly against the paleness of his skin and when Selene saw it she gasped. "The Prophecy Child..."

Snape looked back at her briefly, questions in his eyes but he returned to Harry's side for a moment to check on his condition. Harry was now laying still though his face was now flushed with a slight fever. Draco was looking at him with a totally shell-shocked expression, his face paler than was normal for him.

"Dumbledore..." Dudley muttered in answer to Snape's unasked question though he had not turned around to look at them. "I think...he may be..."

Snape stood there in silence staring down at Harry who had begun to twitch slightly. Then he let out a low moan before opening his eyes to look blearily at Snape.

"Wha happened?" He rubbed at his scar, which was stinging and grimaced.

Snape looked at Draco and silently warned him not to say anything about Dumbledore yet. They could not even be sure this was a true vision or something else. Harry had no need to hear about another death at this point anyway, especially one that could not be confirmed at the moment. His mind was still very fragile and this news could very well send him spiraling into madness.

"Nothing. We're safe for the time being. Now you need to rest . Your magic has been exhausted and you need to sleep for it to recover. I promise we'll protect you while you sleep. No harm will come to you. "

Harry looked at Snape sleepily and nodded though the action caused pain to explode inside his head. He winced again and Snape handed him a Pain Potion, which he gratefully drank without complaint.

"We'll explain everything to you in the morning. Get some sleep."

Harry burrowed into the blankets and rolled over. Soon he was deeply asleep again. Snape looked at the other two a moment and they nodded. Snape returned to where the Founders sat watching.

"The boy is a Seer?" Salazar Slytherin's dark eyes were trained on Harry curiously.

"Not really. He does not make predictions or prophecies as far as I know, though I'm told his dreams can be prophetic to a degree. He is also able to see things happening through the eyes of another at a great distance at the moment they happen." Snape looked at Selene. "Why do you call Harry the "Prophecy Child?"

"He is the Prophesied One who as come to us in our hour of gravest need to help us vanquish the Dark Lord." She said looking intently into Snape's eyes.

"Bloody Hell!"

"Not again. He's really gonna love this one." muttered Draco to no one in particular. "As if he dozen't already have enough trouble."

"What do you mean by 'again'?" said Helga who was preparing stew at the fire.

"That is a long story." Snape said softly.

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Selene eyed the dark-haired youth, Harry, her eyes wide at the information she and others had just heard. Harry was already under the guise of another Prophecy made before he was even born, a Prophecy that had had a profound effect on the boy. Hunted by Dark Wizards from the moment of his birth, his parents slain by the Dark Lord of his age, raised by relatives of his dead mother in a house devoid of love, having his childhood sacrificed because he had to learn to fight, forced into battle after battle against the one that had turned his life into a living hell because the Fates had pushed him into confrontation after confrontation with the monster, losing those dearest to him in battles against the madman and being willing to trade his freedom and very life in order to keep those few friends remaining to him safe. She couldn't help but be awed by it all as the others were. Her gentle heart went out to the broken child and she could tell that the others felt the same, even Salazar. Salazar's reaction to the boy surprised her most of all. It wasn't that he was rude or evil even, it was just that since his wife and only child had been brutally murdered by Aetren's men he had closed himself off from the others and never let anyone else inside.

Salazar didn't understand himself why he was feeling compassion of the lost boy. He had thought he'd made his heart impervious to all thoughts of compassion or love so that he could never be hurt again. His heart had frozen and turned to stone the day his peaceful world was shattered, the day he'd lost everything and everyone dear to him.

_They had been married for little over three months officially though they had been a year and a day handfasted as was wizarding and non-magical tradition. She was already heavy with their first child when they had wed and Salazar was the happiest he'd had ever felt in his life. He couldn't help but smile at everyone he met and even his usual brusque and gruff manner had been abandoned the day he had wed his beloved Elena. This was a fact that the other Founders had teased him over but he was at last able to ignore them. He was going to be a father soon and his wife was the loveliest creature on the earth. His child would know a loving home, unlike his own had been. He did not even care whether the child was male to carry on the line or female, he would treat them both the same and raise them to know only light and happiness. There would be no taint of darkness within their world. _

_He looked across the table at his beautiful dark-haired wife and smiled feeling content at last. Elena was the kindest, gentlest and most compassionate woman he'd ever known in his short life and he couldn't help but love her from the moment they'd met. She was of non-magical parentage but that mattered little to Salazar for he loved her dearly and though his parents had disapproved they'd married anyway. She was a beacon of light to him who had lead him out of the darkness of his parent's world and beliefs. She had saved him at a time when he was unaware that he needed a savior. _

_Elena returned his smile with one her own, her deep brown eyes snapping in merriment at something one of the maids said to her. They had just started the second course of the meal and were deep in a discussion of names for the child that was to arrive in a few days time if all went well, when one of his manor guards rushed into the room, his face pale and his body shaking. Another envoy from Dark Lord Aetren had arrived and was demanding he be seen immediately. Salazar knew he was once again being requested to join the Dark Lord like a good Pureblooded wizard should but he also knew that his answer would remain a resounding 'no'. He had a family to think of now. _

_Salazar had kissed his wife's cheek and left telling her that he would return shortly. _

_"I won't be but a moment dearest love."_

_"Stay safe and know that I will always love you, Salazar Slytherin." Elena had smiled one of her beautiful smiles and had kissed him in return._

That was the last time he'd seen her alive and now all those years later he still wondered if she knew her death was at hand. Her parting words seemed to indicate that she suspected the time had come. The memory of her mangled and bloody body still haunted his nightmares.

Something about this young man resonated with him. Maybe it was that they had both suffered much at the hands of evil. Maybe it was that they had both lost loved ones to a crazed madman. Salazar wasn't sure but he knew he wanted to help this lost child of time if only because it's what Elena would have done in his place.

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Harry slept fitfully for the rest of the night and into the morning. His dreams were a blur to him but he had no more visions and when he woke sometime toward mid-morning he did not remember them. As he slowly woke he could feel that he was surrounded in warmth and he could smell burning wood and some kind of porridge cooking. His stomach growled loudly reminding him that it had been several days since he could last remember eating. He lay there waiting for his memories to catch up with him, hardly daring to open his eyes. Memories of the last few days were fuzzy to him as he had spent most of that time fighting off the Call.

His first coherent thought was how odd it was that his mind was so completely silent. There was no cold, cruel voice in his mind demanding that he obey. There was no pull to go to Voldmort's side or to do His bidding. His mind was his own again and there was nothing of Voldemort hidden there. For the first time in many months he was completely alone in his mind. But he was sure there had been a point when his defenses had completely shattered under Voldemort's Call. He vaguely recalled pain inside his mind and a brief moment when he was forced back into the prison of his mind that Voldemort had constructed for him.

His eyes shot open as more memories floated to the surface of his thoughts and he sat up so fast that Dudley, who was sitting nearby, yelped in surprise and dropped the bowl of porridge he'd been eating.

"Harry?" Dudley's startled voice failed to register with his cousin who was looking at his left arm intently.

"There's no pain." He said without realizing he's spoken.

He looked down at the Mark in confusion. The long, blood red scar ran down the length of his forearm but he could not feel the almost constant pain he'd been in from it since the Binding Ritual had been completed. Before this the only relief he'd ever gotten from the pain was when it was first wrapped in the protective bandages with their layers of spells and that only ever lasts a few hours at most. Yet here it was unbandaged and he felt nothing. Did that mean that the curse was broken and Voldemort had no more control over Harry? Somehow Harry didn't think so. It was very unlikely that such a complex spell as the curse could have been undone so easily. If Voldemort was true to form then the removal of the curse would be accompanied with great pain. He studied the Mark closely for several moments before cautiously reaching out to touch it, half afraid of what might happen if he dared to.

The skin felt strange, like it was tightly stretched over something hard that had been inserted just beneath the surface of it. He frowned and ran his finger lightly over the scar both revolted and entranced by it and unable to stop himself. There was no feeling in it when he touched it. He couldn't even feel the finger that was currently stroking it. It was as if the nerves were completely dead, though he knew they were not from the pain he'd been in before. Maybe they were merely dormant then, only able to send the message of the intensely burning pain of the Call to his brain at the time of Calling.

He continued to run his fingers up and down the scar, his face blank and his eyes dull. He could feel revulsion curl through his system at the thought of belonging to the vile creature who had stolen everything good in his life from him. He hated Voldemort with a burning passion and he was relieved to find that he could now feel that hatred again. And yet he could not seem to take his eyes or hand away from the symbol of his enslavement to the monster. It was like touching a bruise or pulling on a scab despite the fact that it would hurt or bleed. Harry wanted to remember his pain, to remember that he was just a slave to the Dark Lord now. Nothing...he was nothing.

The air around him seemed to ripple but before his magic could be released in an accidental burst of power someone cleared their throat. Harry's head shot up to to see several people looking back at him. He held their multiple gazes for a mere second and then his lowered his eyes to the blankets that covered him.

"Sorry." He sounded lost and his shifted his gaze from the blanket to the surrounding forest, not waiting to look at any of them and afraid they would see the evil that lurked inside him waiting to strike.

"It's okay, Harry. You didn't hurt anyone. I know your control is not good right now." Draco's voice was full of concern.

"No it's not okay. It'll never be okay. Can't you understand that. My control is rubbish and now that I have all this power..." He shivered at the thought of hurting any of them with is raw uncontrolled power again.

"You'll get your control back. It's just taking longer than you wanted or thought. It'll be fine. You'll be fine. You'll see." Dudley said calmly trying to ease his cousin's worry.

"I'm not so sure," he said softly, his voice laced with pain and uncertainty.

"Now that you've had your little pity party, I think it's time you introduced yourself to our hosts properly."

Snape's sneering voice cut through his self pitying mood. Harry felt his temper flare to life and he gave the Potion's Master a glare, green fire dancing in his eyes. Snape was glad to see that spark of temper directed at him for it meant that Harry's personality was still intact despite everything that had happened to him and despite the fact were they in their own time Harry would have been under Voldemort's control. It also meant that perhaps the chance that they could in fact remove the curse was greater than he first thought for it appeared that Voldemort had intended to keep Harry's true self locked away instead of destroying it outright like he might have done.

"Probably as a punishment for all of his escapes." he thought. "He would think it a fitting punishment to 'imprison' the one who'd escaped him so often in the one place he could never escape from: inside his very mind."

Harry's eyes widened when he saw the strangers that were sitting nearby and his face flushed in embarrassment. The youngest woman gave him a wink and small smile to encourage him. He smiled hesitantly back at her and the others. Briefly he wondered if he shouldn't get out of the bed he was in but a sudden wave a dizziness came over him and he felt it was better to remain where he was. He could feel his face pale and his hand moved to the scar on his forehead, which had flared with a brief, sharp pain. He closed his eyes a moment while he waited for the dizziness to pass...

"Harry...Can you hear me?" Snape's voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

"Yes." He heard himself answer, his own voice sounding strangely far away to.

He felt someone slapping him lightly on the cheeks and his eyes snapped open. He found himself face to face with the youngest woman who was looking at him with something akin to awe in her eyes, while everyone else grouped around him looked completed stunned. He felt a strangely comforting weight on his shoulders and turned to see a pair of small, deep dark eyes belonging to a young phoenix looking into his own. The phoenix trilled a note and then began to preen Harry's hair in a manner that suggested ownership. Whatever Harry was going to say was lost in the shock he felt and he stared at the phoenix as if he believed it to be a trick or a dream.

"What happened?" Harry finally asked no one in particular, as he watched as the young phoenix flutter to his knees and looked up at him expectantly. Harry stretched out a finger and stroked the soft feathers of the birds head, a look of peace on his face.

The young woman caught his attention and smiled at him. "I believe you have just bonded with this phoenix.

He looked at her in surprise. "That's impossible. A phoenix is one of the greatest creatures of light and I'm...I've been tainted

"I think this proves without a shadow of a doubt that you have not been 'tainted', Harry." Snape's voice was full of conviction. "Had the Dark Lord corrupted your magic beyond repair or had you been forced to turn to Dark Magic by him then that would be true. However, it appears that neither your magical core nor your soul has been corrupted."

"But the Mark...He broke me at last..." he began, sorrow and anger lacing his voice.

"The Mark itself means nothing! You did not accept the Binding with a willing heart and of your own free will. You have never desired power or to bring harm to others, indeed you very often bring harm to yourself rather than let another be harmed. Your soul is not evil, Harry and because of that you can never truly be wholly his. That is why he went to such lengths with the curse upon it and why he planned continue torturing your mind with what he was going to make the puppet Harry do. It was the only way to ensure he had complete and total control of you since you would not submit to him willingly. "

Harry tried to concentrate on what Snape was saying but he couldn't take his eyes away from the phoenix on his knees, who had placed his head under a wing with a sigh and was now apparently asleep. He said nothing for several moments but then something of what he was being told must of registered because when next he looked up Snape saw some of the fear and hopelessness leave his eyes at long last.

"Then it really might be possible...?" There was dimmed hope in his eyes now.

"You shall be well again, given enough time, young Harry." said a deep voiced man, who looked somewhat familiar to Harry though he couldn't quite place him. "I'm called Godric and this is Rowena, Helga and Salazar."

"And I am called Selene." said the young woman in front of him. "We shall do everything in our power to make you whole again, Harry Potter, Chosen One."

Harry's face drained of all color and his eyes widened in surprised recognition. His voice an awed whisper when he spoke. "You're the Founders."

Against all odds they had found the very people they had come to seek. Harry felt relief flood through him and for the first time since Sirius's death and his capture he allowed himself to believe, he allowed himself to hope.


	8. Beginnings

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**By A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's note: **Here's the next chapter. I had a much easier time with this one as opposed to the last one. Hope you enjoy it. As always I own nothing that was not of my own invention. The characters belong to JKR and not me however much I might wish it.

**Chapter Eight: Beginnings**

_"And their presence was his courage and the reason he was able to keep putting one foot in front of the other." Deathly Hallows page 700_

Ravenclaw manor looked exactly like a picture Harry had seen once in one of those big, glossy and expensive travel magazines his Aunt Petunia had once had a subscription to so that she could impress the neighbors when Harry was younger. The warmly colored red stone that made up the face of it seemed to glow in the late afternoon sun that was cast upon it making even the vines that trailed over it's face seem to glow with some inner light. Harry felt a strange sense of contentment flood him almost identical to the contentment he felt whenever he first caught sight of Hogwarts on his return there each year. For a moment he paused wondering about the depth of this feeling before he let his curiosity slide away as he had done with most of his thoughts of late. If he spent to much time thinking his mind inevitably turned to darker thoughts of his captivity and the problem of the Mark and the Bonding Curse attached to it, neither of which he was interested in thinking about if he could help it.

Here, at least, he was free of the curse's influence and Voldemort could not reach him. For the first time in months Harry was alone in his mind and his troubling dreams and visions of destruction did not plague his sleep. He was also able for the first time to start getting his powers back under his control and his Occulmency shields back in place now that there was no interference from Voldemort or his magic to contend with. Now that he had more conscious control of his powers he felt less afraid of them then before though he was still refusing to do any spell that would hurt someone at least until he got his powers under better control. He looked back and saw Dudley and Draco deep in discussion and he caught their eye with a smile feeling happy for the first time in ages. They returned his smile and moved their mounts forward to join him.

Snape was glad to see Harry beginning to recover some of his old spirit. He seemed more relaxed than he had been of late now that he was away from Voldemort's influence and the Call. He knew the respite would only last until the day they returned to their own time but he was glad of it nonetheless. Harry needed the time spent here to recover from everything that had happened to him in the last several months and to come to terms with his captivity if he could. He would never have gotten that even at Hogwarts, Voldemort had made very sure of that when he placed the curse on the boy. Snape was going to see that he got the chance to recover and that the time he spent here would allow his strength to return completely before he even considered returning to their own time again. He also needed this time to find a way to break the Bonding Curse that was holding Harry captive even now. He would not allow Lily's son to remain a slave to her killer. He owed it to Lily and Harry to find a way to break it or, failing that, he would see that Harry had a chance at a peaceful life far away from the curse's influence. He hoped they would be given time enough to manage both for Harry's sake but from the looks of things they had stumbled into another war zone.

He sighed inwardly and continued to listen to the conversation around him while his mind was deep in thought. Clearly the Founders where in the middle of a war here, one that was merely a footnote in their long lives. Snape could only vaguely remember having read about it in a book he'd once taken out of the library while still a student. He couldn't even remember the details now since History of Magic had never been his strong point or his interest. As he recalled he only ever passed the class because Lily was willing to share notes with him. He shook his head and watched as Harry's phoenix began to soar around the latter's head singing for all it was worth. Harry laughed and called the bird back to him with a command he could not hear. He saw Harry smile back at his cousin and Draco and they moved forward to join him. Soon the three of them were deep in discussion. Snape couldn't help but feel a bit of pride at the way the two other boys were turning out now that they were finally allowed to make their own decisions and not ones that were influenced by their parent's beliefs. Harry needed strong allies and people close to him that understood the situation if he was ever to recover from this.

Draco could hardly believe that he was having a civil conversation with Potter and his Muggle cousin of all people. He never expected to become friends his one time rival or that he would enjoy the conversations he had Dudley had been having since they'd begun training together. Potter wasn't so bad when Draco thought about it and he discovered that the Gryffindor had quite a few Slytherin tendencies, which surprised him. Dudley was actually quite intelligent in some areas and they'd had several very interesting conversations about several topics. Dudley was even teaching Draco a few Muggle hand to hand techniques. All in all he found that he enjoyed their company greatly and he briefly wondered what his father would have thought about the whole thing.

"Probably would disown me if he knew, " Draco thought as he watched Harry's phoenix land on his bonded's shoulder with soft rustle of wings.

Sothis, the phoenix, swiveled his head around and looked at Draco with an unblinking stare. Draco blinked at the phoenix in confusion and Harry laughed.

"Sothis won't hurt you, you know. I think he just wants to be petted."

Draco eyed the phoenix dubiously. "Are you sure of that, Harry? I mean I was and I quote 'a Death Eater in training' I've got the Dark Mark to prove it. He might not want my 'tainted' fingers touching him."

"You're not the evil one here, Draco. That title belongs to me, thank you very much," Dudley chuckled from Harry's other side and gave his cousin a wink.

Harry winked back and started laughing but stopped abruptly as a memory floated to the surface of his mind. Dudley and Draco stopped laughing and looked over at him. His face was a pale, expressionless mask and his eyes were blank and dull. Sothis began to keen and Harry's body started trembling in the throws of another flashback. Draco and Dudley moved in closer to catch him as his body slumped forward, the power of his flashbacks being such that he was unable to control his body's movements or his magic. Harry neither saw nor heard anything around him as the sunlit land before him became a dark, high ceilinged room and the people around him became enemies instead of his friends.

_He fell to the smooth stone floor before Voldemort's throne with a resounding crack and his knees blossomed with pain that barely registered with him. The Death Eaters who had taken him from the Hogwarts Express had been unable to restrain themselves when he surrendered to them willingly. They had taken him to some dark and empty building and had tortured him for hours with their Lord's permission before finally bringing him before Voldemort for 'a more personal touch'. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and both his scar and body were searing with pain as he stared into the face of death. He had no illusions about what was going to happen to him. Voldemort had wanted him dead for so long that it seemed a forgone conclusion. Voldemort's red eyes gleamed in the candlelight and his mouth twisted into a sneer, as he watched Harry attempt to get shakily to his feet. He was not about to die without facing his foe despite being wandless and defenseless. He would face death proudly and bravely even though fear whined in his head. _

_"So we meet again, Harry Potter. I told you that you would lose everything when we last parted company but even I did not expect to see you again so soon. Fate works in mysterious ways does she not?"_

_Defiance and angered burned in Harry's eyes and he glared with hatred at his nemesis though he said nothing in reply. He was resolved to keep his temper in check and to show no visible signs of the fear that was making it hard for him to concentrate. _

_Voldemort, for his part, moved from the throne like chair he'd been seated upon and walked toward Harry in a slow and deliberate fashion that suggested that the Dark Wizard had nothing to fear from Harry. Harry refused to move a muscle while the Dark Lord circled him like a hawk onto prey, though he longed to keep his eyes upon his enemy. Voldemort remained silent as he moved around Harry three times before stopping in front of him barely a hands breath of space between them. Harry's scar was on fire with the pain caused by the proximity of Voldemort to him but still he did not move or show any outward sign of his fear or pain. _

_Voldemort smiled at Harry, trapping the boy's eyes within his own with the power of his gaze. Harry's eyes widened a fraction at the look of lust he found there and his body trembled as he felt Voldemort's mind invade his own for a second time. Harry tried to wrench his eyes away from glowing red ones that were piercing his mind but he could not seem to. Instead he felt like he was falling into that redness, losing himself in it's depths. A detached part of his mind realized that he had fallen to the floor again and that he was in pain. He could hear the faint screams echoing in the room but he could not do anything to stop himself from doing it though he had resolved not to show pain. He couldn't seem to move or defend himself against the assault on his mind and body and some small part of him did not want to try knowing that to do so would cause more pain. Soon the pain overwhelmed all of his senses and he saw the world through a haze of red on black._

_It was sudden coldness that awoke him from his unconscious state. Coldness and fiery pain moved through his body in unending waves that appeared to rise and fall with each heartbeat or breath. He was so cold that he started to shiver slightly making the muscles in his outstretched arms ache with the strain of it. He moaned as the pain spiked in his head and opened pain-filled eyes to find himself chained hand and foot to the cold stone wall to the left of Voldemort's throne with no memory of how he'd gotten there. The cold chains bit into his wrists and ankles and as he became more aware he noticed that there was also a manacle around his throat that prevent him from moving his head or from breathing correctly. _

_It was only then that he became fully aware as both his mind and vision became crystal clear again and he discovered the true horror that awaited him. He was chained spread-eagle to the wall like some bizaar and living trophy of war. The Death Eaters were laughing their eyes burning with hatred and loathing as they gazed at their prisoner. Then Voldemort's cold voice rang out over their laughter. _

_"As your reward for bringing me back my lost pet you may do whatever you desire to him, but he must be alive and aware when you are finished. I have something special in mind for him."_

_The Death Eaters surged forward then, maniacal glee on every face. For a long while they were content to throw curses and physical blows at him now that he could not defend himself from their attacks but all to soon they became more creative and started combining potions with hexes and magic spells with physical attacks or else several of them would cast simultaneous spells at him, which caused even low level harmless spells not intended to maim or or cause pain to do so. Through it all he did not make a sound even as they began to throw more and more violent and powerful dark curses at him. He was not about to let Voldemort get the better of him. He was not going to give the monster that satisfaction. He would never give in to them. He was strong. He would survive whatever they planned for him. He would be rescued soon and if he should die here at least he would die with the knowledge that he had saved the lives of those on the train by his sacrifice.._

_After several hours of torture during which Harry had not screamed once it ended and he hung limp in the chains trembling slightly with the after effects of the last dark curse. Blood was streaming from multiple deep wounds caused by a Sectumsempra that had the power of four wizards behind it. The room was completely silent now save for his harsh breathing. The crowd around him parted to allow Voldemort to come through their ranks. Again he moved slowly and purposely toward Harry who watched him with defiance still glowing in his pain-filled eyes. When Voldemort was close enough Harry spit in his face and watched as his bloody spittle ran down the Dark Lords pale face. Voldemort's eyes blazed with anger and he backhanded Harry viciously across the face caused the boy to jerk in his chains and hiss in pain. _

_"You will pay for your many crimes against me, Harry Potter. You made the mistake of believing that I would wish you dead immediately upon your arrival into my hands but I have thought of a more fitting punishment for you than death. You shall become mine: mind, body and soul. I will have your power and you. I will bend you to my will one way or another." _

_"I will never join you. NEVER!" Fire burned in the young Gryffindor's eyes and Voldemort appreciated that fire. He liked his prey to have some spirit, some will to resist him. It made it all the more pleasurable when he finally broke them to his will. He could tell that it would take some time to completely break the boy and he relished the challenge._

_Voldemort smiled and moved so close to Harry that they were nearly touching. Then he placed a finger near the scar on Harry's forehead and was rewarded with a flinch and a shadow of pain that flicked across his enemy's face. His red eyes glinted and he placed the finger on Harry's forehead over the scar he'd marked the boy with as an infant. Harry's body stiffened for a moment but no sound came from him, though his breathing became labored and his body spasmed in pain. Voldemort laughed as he took the finger away watching Harry spasm for a few seconds his face contorted with pain that was now very visible in his green eyes. Harry glared through the pain at Voldemort and was rewarded with another backhand that sent his senses reeling and briefly blinded him as his scar spiked with pain again._

_"You will learn your place, my pet and soon your only desire will be to please me for that will slowly become the only thing you will be able to think of. I will enjoy breaking you and using you for my pleasure, Harry." Harry's eyes widened and he began to writhe in the chains. Voldemort merely laughed and pinned the boy to the wall with his body. He looked deeply into Harry's eyes and ran a pale finger down the side of his face enjoying the fear he read within his captive's eyes. Shortly thereafter the air was full of the sound of Harry's screaming pleas as the Dark Lord took both his mind and body..._

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He could hear voices overlaying the sounds around him in the flashback, familiar and comforting voices. He could feel someone's hand in his own and heard the deeper rumbling of another voice. They were calling his name over and over, trying to pull him back from the vision that surrounded him. He fought to break through the vision, to escape from the memories of his first day of captivity. He wanted desperately to forget what had happened that night. There was a streak of fiery bright light across his vision and golden voice surrounded him, blocking the clarity of the vision from his mind so he no longer could feel what was happening within it.

"Bonded...come...follow and find peace..."

Harry found himself suddenly grow stronger and with a push of his magic he shattered the flashback's vision into a thousand shards of shining light. He opened his eyes to find Sothis's own staring back at him. Sothis trilled a high, clear note, nipped Harry's finger in an affectionate way and took off for the nearby manor house.

Harry blinked and sat up suddenly realizing that he was laying on the ground with a cloak thrown over him. The others were grouped nearby talking quietly and he was relieved to see that no one appeared to be hurt this time. Perhaps his magic had not gone haywire as it had every other time previous. This thought made him feel a little better. He began to get up but a hand on his chest stopped him. He couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up his spine and he looked up into the dark eyes of Salazar Slytherin.

"Rest a moment, young one. There is no hurry to arrive at the Manor. We are quite safe here." Salazar's dark eyes held concern and a hint of something else that Harry could not readily put a name to. "Flashbacks are not easy on the mind or body."

Harry dropped his gaze and swallowed with difficulty. He picked at a loose thread on the cloak and swallowed again. He was hovering on the knife's edge again and he knew it. He blinked his eyes rapidly trying to calm himself down but he couldn't prevent the tears that splashed on his hands nor the feelings of utter despair and helplessness that washed over him. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, lost in his own feelings but when he felt someone put their arm around him he flinched and tried feebly to push it away, his mind still not completely free of the flashback.

"It seems so real when it happens," he murmured.

"And it may always feel thusly. What happened to you cannot be unmade or undone. You will always carry that memory within you but it will only have power over you if you allow it to. If you do not let it go and learn from it then it will become a festering wound on your heart unable to be truly healed. Then your enemy will have won. He will have broken your spirit."

Harry looked up sharply at Salazar his eyes glinting with anger but whatever he'd been about to say vanished at the look in Slytherin's dark eyes. Here he saw understanding and the same pain he'd briefly glimpsed in his own eyes was reflected in Slytherin's. Sometime in the past Salazar himself had been through something similar to what he'd endured. He nodded, all anger draining out of him and Salazar stood and offered his hand to Harry to help him to his feet.

"Any time you have need to talk I will be here to listen, Harry. Such visions should be talked of in order to weaken their power over the person having them. Do not make the same mistake I once did out of a wish to show no weakness to anyone. Pride can be a very dangerous thing."

"Yes, sir. I will try to remember that." Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to talk to someone he barely knew about his 'episodes' and flashbacks. He never could seem to talk to anyone else and they were weighing on his mind.

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Half an hour later found Harry and his companions having already been lead around Ravenclaw Manor by Selene who they learned was Rowena's ward. They were now taking tea in the back garden, which was full of bright flowers and fragrant herbs. A delicate cup of tea cupped in his hands, Harry was only half listening to conversation the was flowing around him. He stared across the garden at the seemingly endless stretch of land beyond the low garden wall. The wind was blowing the tall grasses and heather gently and he could see birds flying and diving in the sky overhead. Occasionally he could see the bright scarlet and gold plumage of Sothis in the distance as the phoenix dove in and out among the other birds. Harry smiled as he watched Sothis and a falcon of some kind began a wild flying race across the skies and through the nearby forest. He could feel the phoenix's joy at the wide expanse of sky above him and could very faintly hear the two birds as they conversed. Closer at hand he could hear the mutterings in Parseltongue of a young garden snake in search of some food.

Draco watched Harry for several minutes as he held the cup in his hands but did not drink from it. He smirked a little at Dudley and poked Harry hard in the arm to get his attention and said good-naturedly, "Oi Potter. Are you going to drink that or what? It's rude to ignore your hosts and the food they offer, you know. Didn't those Muggle relatives of yours teach you proper manners?"

"Sorry," Harry jerked out of his link with Sothis and grinned sheepishly. "I didn't mean to be rude."

Dudley chuckled, "I thought I was supposed to be the rude one."

"No, you're not rude, Big D. You're the 'Evil Git' remember? Get with the program Dudders."

Draco cleared his throat dramatically, "I have it on good authority that I'm the most evil one here."

Draco's voice had taken on a pompous aire that Harry had not heard from anyone other than Percy Weasley and Draco had stuck his nose high on the air. Harry smirked and glanced at Dudley a moment before turning back to Draco what was busy looking down his nose at them as if he was better than they were.

"Never knew such evil existed in this world. I guess I had better get away from it before it tarnishes my 'Golden Boy of Gryffindor' image hadn't I," he replies dryly.

There was merriment dancing in his bright green eyes and Draco dropped the act in surprise at seeing it there again. He felt his heart lighten at the sight of such joy in Harry's eyes. In the last several months that sparkle had been missing from Harry's normally bright green eyes and they had all despaired at ever seeing his eyes glow with life as they were now. Draco knew then that Harry would heal from this. The road ahead would not be easy but Harry would make it through to the other side and would grow stronger for it. His captivity was merely another roadblock that Voldemort had set in his path to prevent him from his true goal and Harry would break through it. When that happened Voldemort would meet his match at last. Even as Draco thought this he became aware that this would only last as long as they remained in this time. The Bonding Curse that had been laid on him by Voldemort was still there, a hovering shadow that seemed to surround him waiting for the right time to strike him down. Unless they could break it things would return to the way they had been when the time came for them to return home. Draco watched Dudley and Harry laugh at something they latter had said and he resolved to work harder on helping Snape and the other with the problem. He was not going to allow that glow to leave Harry's eyes again.

While the three boys were engaging in good-natured banter at the far end of the table the adults were deep in a more serious discussion. None of the Founders had failed to notice the dark curse that hovered closely around the boy now that he was more active. Snape had explained what he could of the Dark Mark and the ritual Voldemort used to mark his followers. He then outlined the ways that Harry's Lighting Mark and the ritual that had been used had likely differed from his own, though he admitted without Harry's first hand account of what had happened he couldn't know for sure if his theories were true. He concluded with details of what methods had already been tried to remove the curse and why they had failed, what measures they had taken to reduce the effects of it upon Harry's mind and magic and the ways in which Harry himself had fought against the pull of the Call and how he was even now resisting the still very active curse on a purely unconscious level.

"The first thing we need to do," said Helga quietly. "is to give Harry a chance to regain his strength, both physical and magical. Without that I am afraid that anything we try may do more harm than good."

"I agree," Snape's voice was just as quiet. "He has come back from near death and neither his magic nor his body has had sufficient time to recover. His training will need to recommence soon as well. His finer control was destroyed during his captivity and he needs to get it back as soon as possible. His powers have matured recently and he is a danger to everyone around him until his control returns."

Godric nodded, " We shall begin his training tomorrow or the day after."

Snape followed Godric's gaze and his eyes came to rest on Harry. He eyes widened a little as he saw the dark nimbus of light around Harry that represented the Bonding Curse pulse for a brief moment though it was clear that the young man had not felt it. Snape frowned and continued to watch as the darkness seemed to writhe around Harry, sending out fingers of itself into him as if still questing for his core. The fingers were soon thrown out and they waved around as if they had been stung by something. Harry seemed unaware of the attack and was looking at him with a curious expression.

"Everything alright, sir?" There was worry evident in his voice.

"Everything is fine. Why don't you and the others do some more exploring on your own. Now that we are here and safe we will be returning to our regular training schedule tomorrow or the day after.

Snape and the Founders saw Harry's face fall slightly at the mention of training but he nodded and the three boys took off at a run for the open fields beyond the gate, though Harry lagged a little behind the others due to his weakened state.

"Just give him time to heal. Please. That is all we ask and you owe him that much at least."

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The sound of screams echoed off the polished stone walls of the Fortress of Darthon. Aetren's anger knew no bounds when his lesser servants informed him of the escape of the Phoenix Child mentioned in the Prophecy. Now those servants lay at his feet twitching and screaming in pain as he drained some of their own personal magic from them and used it to fuel the darkest torture curse in his arsenal. Their own magic would continue to fuel the Flamarium Curse until he chose to release them from it. If any of them managed to be unfortunate enough to survive they would become personal slaves to some of his more loyal followers as punishment for their failure. 

He left them laying on the floor in one of the larger dungeon rooms, not really caring if they lived or died. He moved down the narrow corridor and up three flights of dark marble stairs to the third floor. Sunlight was streaming through the stained glass windows that depicted the Tale of the Three Brothers and other Wizarding tales from _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._ He ignored the windows and the fractured sunlight that danced on the stone floor in front of him in favor of making plans for the capture and death of the boy who could ruin everything he'd spent years working toward. The boy would have to be dealt with and soon if he every hoped to take complete control.

Halfway down this new corridor he opened another door that lead to his Infimary. Zolaren lay on the bed nearest the door and he turned his unseeing eyes toward his master bowing his head in supplication to Aetren. His face was blistered and burned still and his eyes had been blinded by the power of the spell the young man had released at point blank range. Aetren could not fault him for his injures when he'd learned how close his trusted second in command had been to the spell. He could not even berate him for being so foolish as Zolaren had admitted to believing the boy to be incapable of any spell given his obviously weakened state. Thankfully, given time he would make a full recovery. Zolaren was the only one who could tell him how much of threat the boy was to his bid for total domination.

Zolaren sat up straighter when he felt the presence of his Master and he turned sightless eyes toward him waiting for him to speak. No one dared to question Aetren unless they wanted their minds flayed to pieces.

"Those that went with you claim the boy's powers are great though uncontrolled. What can you tell me of this?"

"His power is vast, even I could feel it rolling off him and the Daemons were positively glowing in reaction to his power levels. Physically though the boy is frail and weak. How such power can exist in such a frail package I do not know."

"Would he join us?" Aetren's words were full of barely suppressed longing for the power the boy held.

"I think not...at least not willingly. It may be that he can be compelled into joining. I offered it to him and this was his response," he gestured at his injures.

Aetren nodded and began to pace, lost in his own thoughts. Zolaren listened to the sound of it for a moment, trying to use it to gage his Master's mood before speaking. He was Aetren's most trusted servant but he was also not so foolish as to speak out of turn no matter how close they were. 

"My Lord, perhaps if one of our agents in the Light camp could get close to the boy, lure him from the safety of the others..."

An evil smile came across Aetren's features. He had the perfect plan in mind and the perfect agent to call upon to execute the plan. Soon they would have the Phoenix Child in there grasp and the Light would be crushed at last.


	9. Hogwarts

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**By: A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's note:**I would like to thank everyone for their reviews. It makes this story worth writing. Here the next chapter and things start to heat up. Please leave a review if you've a mind to. Enjoy.

_**Chapter Nine: Hogwarts **_

_"All my thoughts are with you forever/Until the day we'll be back together"-Bittersweet-Within Temptation_

_"Made me promise I'd try/To find my way back in this life-Memories-Within Temptation_

The early morning sun poured through the window and landed on the pale face of the dark-haired youth who lay asleep in a tangle of blankets and bedsheets. His almost too skinny body was sprawled haphazardly across the feather mattress, his scarred left arm flung over his head and his right hand gripping the sheets underneath him in a white-knuckled grip. Sothis looked down at his green-eyed charge with concern and a soft note hovered in the air above him but Harry did not appear to have heard him. He was too lost in the dream that surrounded him.

_He was standing on the shore of a deep, black underground lake. The deathly cold water lapped at his feet, which were for some reason bare. He could feel a curiously warm breeze on his face that ruffled his messy hair and the feathers of the phoenix who was perched on his shoulder. The air around him seemed charged with magic, his magic and another darker magic. He felt tired, more tired than he could ever remember being before but the warm breeze seemed to be giving him strength and healing his injuries. He could hear whispering voices behind and to his right but it seemed that he was standing alone protecting whoever it was behind him. Fear was heavy in the air as well. He could almost taste it, could almost feel it touch his skin but for some reason he was completely calm. He touched the wand in a wrist sheath on his left arm and felt the warmth around him intensify even as he felt his magic move through him like a warm current. _

_He looked back over his shoulder to see the frightened faces of children behind him and he heard the voices of their guardians trying to keep them calmed down enough to move. He knew they would have to move soon. Something was coming toward them across the vast black lake. He looked back at the children and their guardians a moment until he spotted Draco. He looked back toward the lake again and heard Draco join him. _

_"Get them out of here before they come back. I will hold them." _

_Draco nodded but before the blond Slytherin could move more than a few paces there was a rustling sound from farther down the lake's shore and Harry sensed a wave of Dark magic headed their way. He whipped his head around toward the source, sensing the dark power that resided within the man before him even as his wand leapt into his hand without a word of command. The scar on his forehead stung, causing his eyes to water._

_"Leave now. I'll hold them off. Go." He didn't stop to see if his order was complied with or not. He moved forward to meet the wave of Dark Magic..._

Harry sat up suddenly, his eyes wide and his breathing heavy. His heart beat a rapid tattoo in his chest and the scar on his forehead stung. He frowned as he rubbed it to remove the sting.

"This isn't supposed to be happening anymore. He's nowhere near here so why is my scar still hurting?" he mumbled to no one.

It was a rhetorical question of course since no one he'd told about it could figure out what was causing it. Not even Snape had been able to make a guess as to why it still stung on occasions like this. The curse scar on his forehead should not be causing Harry pain at all given that they were about as far away from Voldemort as they could get. Sothis fluttered from his perch to Harry's shoulder and trilled a soft note.

"I just wish I knew why it keeps stinging even though...He's not around." Harry petted the phoenix absentmindedly as his thoughts strayed to Voldemort for the briefest moment before returning to the dream.

After a few minutes he grabbed the leather journal from his bedside table as well as his glasses, quill and ink and another book about dreams that Selene had suggested he read to help him make sense of some of his more vivid dreams. He jotted down as much of the dream as he could remember and then made a few notes about what it might mean, frowning the whole time. There was something about the dream that felt different this time. He couldn't put a finger on why this would be but he felt deep down that it was true. He scanned the pages in hopes that whatever was bothering him about the dream would become visible but when it did not he slammed the book closed in frustration and decided to get ready for the day instead.

As if on cue Draco burst through the door, his dark green robes billowing around him and a beaming smile on his face. He was closely followed by a surly looking Dudley who was pulling on robes of a deep burgundy color over his other clothes with a frown. Dudley was not a morning person.

"What's your hurry, Draco? You know perfectly well we can't leave without him. I could have gotten a few moments more sleep from the looks of things." He jerked a thumb at Harry who was not even halfway dressed for the day yet.

"If we don't hurry we'll be late for the morning meal again. You know how Master Slytherin and the others hate that," Draco said sagely as he smoothed his new Hogwarts robes. "Besides the other students are returning today as you well know."

Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's antics and sighed heavily, running a hand through his unruly hair.

"If you to don't mind, I could use some help here in case you've forgotten," he glared at the lacing of his pants, shirt and doublet with an angry frown. He was still unable to remember how to tie things even though he'd been shown countless times before and he suspected it was something like his inability to tie his shoes before.

"You should really learn how to dress yourself, Harry," Dudley said with a good-natured smirk. "Even I figured out how to do it."

Harry mock glared at him, though there was still a little anger in the look then he half smiled at him. "I must admit that was a surprise, Big D. Never thought you catch onto something quicker than me."

Dudley shrugged and threw Harry's robes to him, which were deftly caught by the smaller boy. This lighthearted banter was how they dealt with signs of the slight brain damage Harry had suffered. There were certain things that he was unable to do now that he had always taken for granted, one of which was tying lacing. He knew what he wanted to do and how to do it but his brain could not seem to get the message to his hands any more. He was slowly relearning some things, such as how to hold a quill and how to eat again but most of the rest of it had been slow going.

Harry slipped the scarlet robe on and straightened it slightly, running a hand through his hair again.

"You might as well give that up. I've never known your hair to lay flat in all the time I've known you."

"Doesn't hurt to try, Dudders. Who knows maybe someday it will," Harry looked at the foggy mirror with a frown as he ran a finger over the scar on his forehead and then the fainter one that marred his left cheek, trying not to think about how he'd come by them. The last thing he needed was to have a flashback come upon him today of all days.

"If you have finished primping, can we go? I'm starved." Dudley's stomach growled loudly and the other two laughed.

"Honestly you're as bad as Ron. Always thinking with your stomachs both of you," Harry chuckled as he lead them both from the room only to have Draco take up the lead as soon as they were in the hallway. Harry had some difficulty in memorizing the layout of the manor and village so Dudley or Draco took the lead whenever he left his rooms to prevent him getting lost.

The three boys had been surprised when they heard that the students and professors were being called back to Hogwarts since there was obviously a war going on but today was the day that Hogwarts was finally reopening after a little over a year of being closed. After Harry's burst of magic at the Ancient's Gate over two months ago, Aetren and his forces had at first pulled back and then seemed to have vanished completely as if they had never been. It was rumored that the Phoenix Child had ended the Dark Lord's reign in a sudden attack that had somehow banished Aetren from the land forever. It was widely believed that everyone could now go about their business without fear of being attacked or killed and everything slowly returned to normal.

For weeks after this had happened and the rumors began the Founders had sent out scouting party after scouting party to try and find any sign of the vast army that had held them under siege for so many months but as each group returned it quickly became clear that they were nowhere to be found. They appeared to have vanished completely and even their former stronghold on the outskirts of the Great Forest had a vanished without a trace. With the return of peaceful times parents began to demand that Hogwarts reopen and after weeks that passed with no sign of Aetren, his army or indeed anything out of the ordinary the Founders decided it was safe to reopen the school beginning the term after the fall harvest.

Harry and the others were less trusting of this apparent and sudden peace. Snape felt that this was too much like the years between Voldemort's defeat and his rebirth for comfort and the similarity between the two situations was not lost on Harry. Harry had spent the last several weeks as taunt as a bowstring and continually looking over his shoulder as if he expected at any moment to be attacked or that Aetren would simply appear from the shadows as Voldemort himself had done. When nothing of the sort happened it only made him more nervous rather than less. Moody's speeches about 'constant vigilance' were to ingrained in Harry by this point to ignore them. The Founders too were on edge though they tried not to show it.

They arrived in the Great Hall of the manor to find it filled with students in different colored robes that denoted their house affiliation (scarlet for Gryffindor, a deep forest green for Slytherin, a muted gold for Hufflepuff, and a deep midnight blue for Ravenclaw) plus a few student wearing robes of deep burgundy, which showed their affiliation to no house in particular. The dining table had been magically expanded to seat them all for meals and the room now sported large tapestries with the house crests and mottoes woven into them as well as a banner with the crest and motto for the unaffiliated students.

When they saw that people were seating in no particular order the three of them took seats near the end of the table together with Harry in between them in case he needed their help with anything. Harry looked at the people around him carefully but was interrupted when Gryffindor stood up and cleared his throat. Harry's eyes were on his head of house as he spoke.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts. We have missed you these last months but hope with peace being restored that we can make up for lost time. Before we break our fast and begin the lessoning I would like to introduce three new students to our shores and school: Draco Merriman, Harry Prescot and Dudley Donohue. I hope you will welcome them into our ranks as brothers. They have journeyed far and have suffered in this war as we all have. Please respect their need for privacy. Now if Miss Harrison would speak the blessing we can tuck in."

A short, rather shy dark-haired girl wearing Ravenclaw robes who looked to be about eleven stood and spoke the magical blessing over the food they were about to eat, over the school and her students and professors, and over those whose loved ones had suffered or died in the recent war. Harry's eyes widened a moment and his body stiffened as he watched her. She was one of the children in his dream.

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Harry glared across the dueling chamber at Snape, whose black eyes were boring into Harry's own.

"You've got to start using offensive spells soon, Harry. How do you expect to get your control back if your still refusing to use them?"

"Maybe I don't want to use them! I've hurt enough people!" Harry's temper burned through his blood causing his magic to pulse dangerously around him.

"Magic is like a muscle, Harry. You have to use it in order for it to strengthen and for it to be controlled."

"Like it really matters now that He has control over me!" He threw his wand across the room where it hit a wall and bounced off it to fall to the ground.

"It matters, Potter because you need to be in control of your powers when we return home. "

Harry's glare intensified and he stalked over to where his wand was. Picking it up he turned to Snape.

"I don't care anymore," his voice was hollow and flat.

"So you're going to just give up and let Voldemort take over. Your the only one that even has a chance of stopping him. Others can help you but in the end it has to be you. Defensive spells are all well and good but they will not defeat the Dark Lord. Are you expecting that He might fall from a cliff like a villain in one of your Muggle movies perhaps? I can tell your that will never happen."

Harry shivered at Snape's use of the Dark Lord's name, his eyes becoming dull even as his temper flared and a small whirlwind spun around him.

"Dammit! Stop this right now, Potter!" Snape growled "Lock it down and find the leak."

Harry struggled to comply with Snape's instructions, his anger flowing out if him suddenly as he saw the whirlwind strike the wall and splinter the stone there. After several seconds, during which Harry struggled to keep control of the storm he'd unconsciously called even as he searched for and found the leak that was causing it, the whirlwind stopped moving aimlessly around the room and then slowly dissipated.

Inwardly Snape sighed in relief thinking that Harry hadn't done to bad of a job but outwardly he appeared to be seething.

"What in the name of Merlin is wrong with you, Potter?" His voice was still a growl but there was concern underlying it. "You know the spells and I'm sure you are aware of the need to relearn to cast them at your new power levels and because of the damage your core sustained that resulted in your lose of finer control."

Harry has slumped into the room's only chair, a hand over his eyes and his head bowed. He nodded his head in a jerky fashion but did not speak, not even to answer Snape's question. Snape noticed he was trembling though with fear or some other emotion he couldn't say. He moved closer to the boy so that he was standing mere inches away.

"Talk to me, Harry."

Harry's trembling hands toyed with his wand and he took a shaky breath before looking up at Snape. His normally vibrant green eyes were dull again and his body trembled violently. For a moment Snape thought that he was in the throws of another vision.

"I...I don't think..," his face was pale and his voice was devoid of emotion. "Vol...He...I can't okay! If I do then..."

Snape wondered what the Dark Lord had done but before he could make any move Harry had bolted from the room slamming the door behind him. Snape wanted to follow but knew that it would be best to let Harry calm down on his own before he confronted him again.

Harry was not sure what made him bolt like that. He knew better then anyone that he needed to relearn control, remaster spells that he already knew at his new power level and learn new ones to continue his training. It was just that deep down he was still afraid of his powers, more afraid then he wanted to admit to anyone. He's seen the destruction they had caused already and he was not willing to hurt anyone again. Harry sat down on the low garden wall and after a few moments Sothis landed on his knees. Harry stretched out a finger to stroke the phoenix's feathers trying to calm himself. Sothis's dark eyes found his master's and he trilled softly.

_"You shouldn't fear the power, Bonded," _Sothis's golden voice filled his mind like a glowing sun. _"It is a natural part of you, flowing through your veins even as your blood does. It gives you life."_

_"I know," _Harry sighed heavily. _"I'm not sure what to do."_

_"You have suffered much but you are strong. The others are here to help you. You should let them for I cannot help you in all things. My job is as your guardian and protector. Talk to them. Let the others help heal your pain, Bonded. Was this not one reason you removed yourself from your own time?"_

Harry nodded by said nothing, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he thought of the friends he'd left behind. He missed them greatly but he knew in his heart that he had made the right decision not to tell them where he was going. They were far safer at Hogwarts without that knowledge and far away from the time bomb he'd become. An image of his friends wavered before him and he felt as if they were still with him in spirit if nothing else. He could almost hear their voices encouraging him and soothing his pain. He smiled.

Harry blinked and the image was gone but for some reason having seen his friends had a positive effect on him. He would work harder. He would get his control back and remaster his offensive spells. He would do this all for them. He had to be able to fight and to protect his friends against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. If he wanted to protect his friends, the world that he had come to love and which excepted him as one of its own and the world that had sheltered him all those years then he would have to become the wizard the Prophecy spoke of. He couldn't afford to be afraid anymore, there was too much at stake.

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The next three weeks passed quickly for Harry and the others. For the first time in his life Harry was enjoying school though he was still a bit in awe of the Founders and the fact that they taught classes. In one of his first classes, Advanced Potions, he had stared openly at Salazar Slytherin for a full ten minutes before he realized that the rest of the class was laughing at him. He took it good-naturedly and got right to work on his potion after that swearing to himself that he would not stare at the others Founders like that again.

Magical knowledge was being soaked up by his brain at an almost alarming rate now and Harry found that he could call up any piece of information he had learned with an ease he had never experienced before. This did not mean, however, that he was perfect in everything that he did. In charms class he somehow made it snow even though they were supposed to be working on a warming charm and he melted two silver cauldrons in a row in Potions class when he added to many dragon scales to his Inflamaris Potion. He also managed to transfigure his own nose into a pig's snout and couldn't get it to change back without the aid of Professor Valarias.

All in all though he was enjoying most of his classes and the students had accepted all three of them with very little fanfare. They seemed to accept the story that the Founders and Snape had agreed upon which said the three of them were orphans of war who had been taken in by a wealth potions master from London, which reduced the chance of anyone having known them or their supposed families since most of the student of Hogwarts were local. Draco and Dudley had gathered a group of friends from all houses and Harry was glad for them though he preferred to remain alone. He hung out with Draco, Dudley and their new friends but resolved not to make any of his own. He felt somewhat isolated from the other children at the school because of his captivity just as he had felt in his own time and he didn't want burden anyone else with his problems.

Harry was making his way to his private defense class with Snape, which was being held outside today because of the volatile nature of the spells he was learning. As usual he was running late because of an accident he had caused in Charms class. As he rounded the corner someone ran into him and both they fell to the ground in a tangle of robes and limbs. The boy on top of Harry was the first to jump to his feet. He was a tall, broad shouldered boy with wavy blond hair and dark eyes wearing the muted gold of Hufflepuff. He offered Harry his hand.

"Sorry about that, Harry. I didn't know anyone was there."

"I'm fine so don't worry," Harry took the offered hand and let the larger boy lift him to his feet. Harry stood and looked at the boy in confusion as he couldn't remember the boy's name. Silently he cursed his inability to recall the names of people he had recently met.

"I'm not sure we've actually met before. My name is Cygnus Black-Peverall."

Harry's eyes widened, "Are you related to the Blacks then?"

Cygnus bobbed his head, "My mother was a Black before she married my father. I'm also related to Salazar Slytherin himself but that not really important right now. I think we both have classes to get to now. I shall see you later, Harry."

Harry watched as Cygnus turned a corner and headed down the stairs he had just come up and decided he wanted to get to know him better.

Over the next few days Harry and Cygnus became fast friends. Harry discovered that Cy loved to play pranks on the students and sometimes the staff but that those pranks were never hurtful and even the ones the pranks were aim against laughed at themselves rather than getting angry at him. Cy felt it was his personal duty to restore the laughter and fun to Hogwarts that had been missing during the recent war. Harry, having had the same though himself on several occasions back in his own time, agreed with him and even found himself able to laugh with the others. This brought a measure of relief to him and allowed him to relax somewhat. It helped his concentration to no end so his spell casting while still erratic on occasion was becoming less so as time passed.

His resolve to relearn offensive spells notwithstanding, he was still doing poorly in his private lessons with Snape and had come to dread the class he once had done so well in. Snape and Draco had tried everything short of ambushing him to get him to try offensive spells at full power now that he had the basics under control again but Harry continued to baulk at doing so in fear that he might hurt someone. Harry was growing more a more frustrated by the day and not even his new friend was able to console him.

Once again he was sitting on the garden wall after another private lesson in which he'd become so frustrated that his magic had accidentally exploded from him in a near repeat of what had occurred in the forest when they had arrived. When he saw what was happening he had tried to pull the magic back into himself and ended up overloading his system and depleting his magic reserves again. He kicked the stone wall with his foot, angry at himself for losing control again and angry at Voldemort for putting him in such a position.

"_By all rights you should be angry at yourself too," _his conscious said. _"You were the one who went willingly to him in the first place._

"That was to because I wanted to protect everyone else. I couldn't let them all die for me. I'm not worth all those lives. I will never allow that to happen again. First my parents, then Cedric, then Sirius. Never again!"

Harry looked down at his hands, which were clenched into fists. He unclenched them and closed his eyes trying to calm himself down so he could return to class. He breathed evenly in and out ignoring everything around him for several minutes. When he felt he was relaxed enough he left his eyes closed and listened to the sounds around him to try and learn what was around him as Gryffindor had instructed him in his regular Defense lesson. He heard the rustle of robes in the distance that indicated that either a student or a professor was walking in the front garden. There was a rustle of the long grass in the field behind him and the sound of birds overhead. He could hear the wind chimes making a soft musical sound in the light breeze and heard Sothis in the sky somewhere above him. He smiled briefly and turned his attention to things closer at hand.

He heard the chickens and pigs in the stable yard nearby, seemingly restless about something and one of the horses neighed softly to it's young one. He heard a duck waddle passed him and the sound of a snake slithering toward him across the wall, hissing so quietly that he could not hear what it was saying. He opened his eyes in a flash and saw a bright poisonous green snake very near his left hand. The snake looked at him for a few seconds, it's tongue flicking in and out as it tasted the air around it.

_"Phoenix Child...You will never rissse to trouble the Great Masster. Aetren ssssends hissss regardssssss."_

Harry's eyes widened a fraction as he watched the snake rise and bare it's fangs preparing to strike him. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Harry uttered a command to the striking snake in Parseltongue while reaching for his wand. The snake head moved faster than the fastest snitch and though Harry's Quidditch trained reflexes were good they were not fast enough to save him. Harry felt the snakes fangs pierce the scar on his left arm and he cried out as a sudden pain shot up the scar and then up his arm. There was a flare of magic from Harry and both he and snake tumbled from the wall, one on either side of it. Harry saw stars for a moment then he got slowly to his feet, stumbling a little and feeling the poison moving through his body making him dizzy. Finding that he was still inside the garden he began to walk toward one of the side doors of the manor, which seemed farther away then they should have been. Harry's world narrowed to the dizziness in his head, his wavering vision, the pain in his arm and the door that seemed to far away to reach in time. He heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind him, felt himself collapse where his face met the hard unyielding ground and then knew no more.


	10. Trials

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**By A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Authors Note: **I don't own Harry Potter and never did. This story is purely fanmade. Hope you all enjoy this chapter. As always if you have questions feel free to include them in your reviews and I'll try to answer them without giving to much of the plot away.

**Chapter 10: Trials**

_"My desperation finds a look of hero's gone/Legends tell about a savior wise and strong"- _**The Seer- **Tarja.

_"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" FDR_

"The poison has been drawn from his body, " said the burly Healer quietly. "He should awaken in a few hours. Thank Merlin and the spirits of magic that you were there when it happened, Lord Slytherin. If you had not seen what happened and what kind of snake it was..."

"Be at ease, good sir. Harry was lucky that I happened by. Else he would be dead now. I'm sure he will be fine," Slytherin's soft voice replied.

Harry could hear the voices but could not make himself speak or even move. He had to say something. The snake had said that Aetren has sent it specifically to kill him and maybe the others as well. He had to warn them even if that revealed the fact that he was a Parselmouth to them. It didn't matter. He had to warn them quickly. He struggled in silence for several moments and all the while the voices overhead became fainter and fainter until he could hear nothing at all. He growled in frustration but neither the Healer nor Slytherin himself seemed to be aware of his struggle. After several minutes discourse the two left the room to gather the needed healing potions and to alert Harry's guardian and his friends of what had happened.

Almost the moment they left a strange shadow detacted itself from the wall and hovered over Harry a moment, it's red eyes glinting malicously in the dim room.

"So you are the child fated to destroy me? The one with power unstoppable?" The red eyes roamed over the unconscious figure. "The Pure Phoenix Child, uncorrupted and incorruptible.

The shadow that was Aetren's astral form hovered just inches from Harry's body, deeply burning red eyes studying the magical signature before him and assessing how strong his fated foe was. Back at his secret stronghold, Aetren laughed and his cold laughter echoed around his private chambers. His supposed great foe was strong magically but he was weak mentally. He could end this now but he wanted the boy to suffer first. The shadowy spirit form of Aetren moved over Harry, covering him for a moment and then receding from him. Harry's body was glowing a red tinted green color and blood red runes glowed over his head, heart, magical core and his house of spirit. Aetren began to chant softly in Latin and both the runes and Harry's body glowed brighter for a moment before the runes sunk into his body and seemingly vanished. Aetren continued to chant a Dark curse over Harry

By these runes your power is forever sealed

By these wards you mind is closed

By these shadows you heart is bound

By the Dark your spirit imprisioned

From this sleep thy shall never wake

From this curse thy shall never rise

There was a bright flare of power and Harry was encased in a glowing sphere that seemed to move slowly around him before it too vanished from sight. Aetren smiled at his work and then the shadowy figure disappeared from the room, leaving Harry alone. It would be hours before they realized something was wrong and by then it would be too late. The Curse of Sleeping Death would claim the life and power of the Phoenix Child and transfer that power to Aetren. When that happened he would be unstoppable and with the death of the boy all hope would be lost.

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On some subconscious level Harry had felt the shifting of the magic around him and the Dark spell that was being cast but he found himself unable to act or to call his magic to save himself. It was as if he was in stasis, clearly able to feel and think but it felt as if every other sense had been stolen from him by whatever spell was being cast over him. He could barely feel his magical core stirring in response to the spell but soon even that was gone. All he could see was a deep impenetrable darkness around him and all he could feel was a deep burning cold that seemed to slice through him. Strangely enough that cold darkness was calling to him and shivering he felt compelled to moved deeper into it. Maybe he would find somewhere warm and full of light if he did so. He walked for awhile but only found that he was getting colder and everything around him had grown darker if that was possible.

"Strange..."

Suddenly a burst of blinding light caused the total darkness around him to recede a little and Harry saw what appeared to be a long corridor containing two doors that were spaced at either end. Both doors were plain unfinished wood with old-fashioned brass handles. He could see light shining from beneath the left hand one and only darkness under the right. He looked between the two trying to decide which to open. He could feel his magic again faintly and he cast it out toward the doors attempting to use it to determine the correct path to take. Nothing happened. Either something was still blocking his magic or there was nothing there for it to read.

He frowned and stared at the doors again but nothing about them gave him any clue that would help him in his decision. He cursed silently to himself and began walking toward the right hand door feeling drawn to it somehow despite the darkness that seemed to flow from beneath it.

"Hopefully this will lead me out of here. I need to warn them about Aetren."

Harry had just reached out a hand to grasp the handle of the door when he heard the left hand door opening behind him and saw warm light spilling from beyond it. Warmth made it's way to Harry, warmth like strong sunlight and and a heartbreakingly familiar voice spoke to him from within it.

"Don't go that way, Harry. It only leads to death and pain," Harry spun around on the spot and saw his godfather, Sirius Black standing there looking as he had done in the picture Harry had of him at his parents wedding.

"S..Sirius?" Harry longed to run to his godfather and let him shoulder the great weight he seemed to be carrying if only for a little while but something stopped him from doing so. "Is that really you?"

Sirius nodded and smiled widely. "Yep, it is. You really need to get away from that door, Harry. It only leads to suffering and hardship. If you walk through it you will surely die."

Harry looked back at the door he'd been about to open. There was nothing to indicate that Sirius was lying and he'd never known Sirius to lie about anything important with regard to his safety before so maybe he should move away from the door. On the other hand there was also nothing that indicated that Sirius was telling the truth. Confused and unable to decide what to do Harry looked around at the darkness a moment and shivered as a cold wind moved over him.

"Let me save you one last time, Harry. If you come through this door then you will go back to where you belong."

Sirius's voice had an almost hypnotic effect on Harry and his hand was outstretched toward his godson in invitation. Harry moved a few steps closer to his godfather and the light infused doorway he stood in but through a great force of will he stopped himself from moving any closer. He looked at Sirius and then back at the right hand door, which remained closed. Once again he moved toward the right hand door and a new faintly familiar voice spoke.

"Son, don't go there. Here is where you truly belong." James Potter's voice spoke in that same hypnotic tone and Harry whipped his head around to see his mother and father standing framed in the left doorway.

His heart thumped loudly in his ears and he felt drawn to them. He searched their faces with a deep, painful longing in his eyes. He wanted to go with them, truly he did. There was a painful ache in his heart and his vision blurred with tears that fell unchecked from his eyes. He wanted to believe that they would help him return to himself but something felt oddly out of place or perhaps he was being paranoid like 'Mad-Eye' Moody. He needed time to think but now all of them were speaking to him, asking him to come with them. They were telling him that he would be safer with them and saying that they would take him back home. Their voices were ringing in his head and the power behind them was making him feel woozy and confused. He blinked slowly and started to move toward the doorway his parents and Sirius stood in wanting the peace they were offering. He needed their touch, their loving words and their care. He wanted to move on and he suddenly became overwhelmingly aware that they could help him heal if only he would follow them now.

"Stop!" A familiar voice rang in the emptiness and Harry's mind snapped back into focus. Standing before the still firmly closed left hand door was Snape flanked by Draco and Dudley. "Don't go that way, Potter. They are a lie meant to decieve you. You will die if you follow them."

Harry's parents and Sirius bristled and anger stole over their features as they traded insults with Snape and the others. Cruel words and names were flung through the air like piercing arrows and Harry drew back from the combatants as if in pain.

"Come with us, Harry. You will be free with us. Happy with us. No one will ever hurt you again. We will protect you forever," his mother's voice moved softly though his mind and his heart convulsed. He could feel the warmth of her love for him and he inched closer to her and the door she had come through.

"No, Harry."

He stopped again when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Draco's fear filled grey eyes staring into his own. His mother's insistent voice grew stronger and he shook the hand off his shoulder. "Leave me alone, Malfoy!"

"That's right, Harry. Come away with us. We will keep you safe. You will be where you belong again. I promise you, honey," his mother smiled encouragingly at him and she saw Sirius smiling too.

"That's right, son. Come away from Snivellus. He only wants to cause you more pain and suffering. You will find peace with us." James held out a hand toward his son.

"Harry come back to us. Please," Dudley's voice rang in his mind and for a moment his mind cleared and all confusion vanished.

He moved back toward Snape, Draco and Dudley again. He could hear his mother crying and his father and Sirius shouting at Snape but he did not stop nor did his will waver. Just as he was about to pass Snape and reach for the door handle there was a bright flash of light in front of him and he was blasted back down the corridor to land with a painful and resounding thud on the floor at his parent's feet. He sat there a moment completely dazed and partically blinded by the attack.

"You will not be leaving here alive, Harry. You have made this harder on yourself. All you had to do was come quietly and willingly with us and no one else need be hurt." The voice that came from Sirius's mouth was not the same one he remembered. It was devoid of all warmth and life, which somehow made it colder than even Voldemort's as if his was but a pale imitation.

Harry stood and glared at the images of his parents and Sirius. "Who are you?"

Soft laughter surrounded him and the darkness moved closer. "Why should I waste my name on a dead man."

Harry's eyes narrowed further and his magic pulsed around him ready to strike at this enemy who dared use the seemings of those he'd loved and lost. "You can't keep me here forever."

"Oh, I think you'll find that I can and will. You see I have those you still care about trapped within your mind." Harry turned to see Snape, Draco and Dudley standing as if frozen their eyes glassy and empty. "They will do anything I command and I could command them to do such interesting things even to you here."

Harry's eyes widened and a cold shiver went up his spine. "No...please...just let them go. I'll stay here...just leave my friends out of this."

Laughter rang in his ears and he saw his parents and Sirius point their wands at his friends, looks of malicious evil on their faces, and they began to move toward him. "Oh, but I hear you enjoy it so, Harry. The pain, the torment, the blood, the screams."

Fear flooded Harry's system and he began to tremble violently as visions from his captivity crowded his mind. He let out a cry of pain and fell to the floor, clutching his head in his hands. He could hear the soft laughter echoing around him, ringing in his mind and mixing with the high, cold laughter of Voldemort. He felt curses hitting him, heard the cruel words and taunts the Death Eaters had spoken, felt every lash and punch he'd received at their hands, felt his body being torn in two as they used him over and over and heard Voldemort call him his willing slave, his obedient pet, his wanton whore.

Harry lay shivering on the floor as these thoughts overrode everything else. He could feel his mind splintering as each image or whispered word felt like a hammer blow against it. His magic flared around him, the swirling red/gold glow at last visible to his enemy. Harry was no longer aware enough to notice when Aetren, wearing the guise of Sirius, flinched back at the brightness of the Light nor when his friends snapped out of their daze and grabbed hold of him. Ten seconds later the was an explosion of power and everyone was flung from Harry's mind and everything went completely dark again.

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Snape awoke three days later, his body aching and his head throbbing in pain. He saw Draco's pale and drawn face hovering over him and he grimaced as he attempted to sit up.

"What in the name of Merlin and the Founders happened?" He fixed Draco with a piercing stare.

Draco looked over his shoulder at the bed on which Harry lay and then shrugged. "No one knows for sure."

Snape noticed Draco would not look him in the eye and that he was worrying the edges of his robes with his fingers in a nervous gesture. He looked around and spotted Harry laying on a bed not a foot away. He seemed be breathing normally though his face was pale and drawn. Dudley was laying with his head on the mattress near his cousin. Snape raised an eyebrow in question.

"Harry has yet to wake. Dudley has been trying to reach him but so far he's not responding to Dudley's mind voice. He says Harry's in a worse state than when we rescued him before."

Snape looked over at Harry's sleeping form and sighed. "So many trials he's been though already and now here's another."

"Dudley thinks whoever cast the curse on him also broke through the block that was protecting him from the worst memories of his captivity and that he's reliving them now."

Snape cursed and strode over to the bed on which Harry lay, ready to give his aid again if necessary. It was going to be long night.

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_He could feel the cold stone of the smoothly polished floor under him, numbing the pain of the fresh and open welts across his back from his morning torture session. They were still bleeding profusely and he could feel the warmth of blood pooling on the floor beneath him. For a moment he allowed himself to enjoy the numbness but a muttered curse sent fire running over his body causing him to arch upwards and scream as the pain intensified. He only barely registered the cruel laughter of the Death Eaters that surrounded him. He'd long ago lost all sense of time and had no clear idea how long he'd been trapped in never ending nightmare of torture and pain. It felt like an eternity to him and each day his hope for being rescued grew fainter. _

_The curse was lifted and his screaming stopped. He lay panting for breath as the residual pain from the curse moved over him, making the welts on his back flare with pain again. A figure moved close to him and he looked into the red eyes of Voldemort who was smiling a smile that boded no good for Harry. He gripped the chains that trailed down from the magic dampening manacles around Harry's neck and wrists and used them to force Harry to his feet. Harry struggled weakly against the grip Voldemort had on the chains, his head throbbing with pain that was radiating from his scar and his breath somewhat constricted by the cold metal around his throat. For a moment everything around him went hazy and he could feel himself about to faint but a spoken word from Voldemort caused the world to return into sharp focus._

_Voldemort's red eyes bore into Harry's pain-filled green ones and he shivered at the look Voldemort was giving him. The Dark Lord's smile widened and he leaned in close to Harry's ear, a finger trailing down the side of Harry's face, causing him to wince as pain exploded in his head. Voldemort chuckled at the pain in Harry's eyes. His fingers were now tracing the brand that he'd burned into Harry's shoulder to mark him as his property a few minutes prior and he watched Harry's body arch as the pain intensified at his touch. Harry was panting and sweat had broken out on his brow while his glassy eyes looked into Voldemort's own without recognition. _

_"You belong to me now, Harry Potter. You are mine forever for I have marked you as mine. The others may do to you as they like but I own your body and mind. Soon your magic will be mine as well. You will surrender it to me willingly very soon." Harry shivered but said nothing as Voldemort swiped his tongue inside his ear and then moved to begin biting and kissing his neck just above the manacle there, adding to the livid bruises that already littered his pale neck from their earlier encounter in the dungeons below them. _

_After a few minutes of this, which left Harry trembling in fear, Voldemort gave him a look that told him all that was about to happen and swept from the room dragging Harry by the chains that bound him. The Dark Lord moved down the hallway, passed several Death Eaters who looked at Harry with lust and hunger in their eyes and pushed Harry through the door of his private rooms with an evil smile. A few seconds later muffled screams and the sound of clacking chains could be heard from the room but no Death Eater dared to make a move or sound. Their turn would come soon enough. A reward for services to the Dark Lord well rendered._

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A swirling dome of energy meant to absorb the accidental magic he was doing in his unconscious state surrounded the bed where Harry lay tossing and turning still in the throws of the memories of his captivity that had been forced upon him by an unknown assailant. It had been a week since the snake had attacked him but he still had not regained consciousness. They had managed to counteract the lethal venom in time and had managed with Snape's help to lift the Curse of Sleeping Death from him. Though his body was weaker than normal he should have awoken three days ago. Instead he remained lost somewhere within his own memories and dreams. Dudley, Snape, Selene and Salazar had all tried to reach him but to no avail. Snape and Draco were sitting with him again though neither of them had spoken a word since relieving Dudley. Draco was staring down at Harry with sadness in his eyes. He still wasn't entirely sure why he even cared about what happened to Harry. All that he did know was that school houses, blood status and name did not matter to him anymore.

Harry had become a close friend in the last several months simply because of who he was on the inside. Harry had a generous spirit and loving heart neither of which Draco had experienced before in his life. His own parents were cold and never showed affection toward him. To them he was just a means to an end and a way to continue the Malfoy legacy. Harry had been willing, even after all he'd been through at Voldemort's hands, to forgive Draco and to extend the hand of friendship to someone who'd been his once sworn enemy. He'd given Draco a second chance to prove himself and to live as his heart wanted him to. Draco was not evil and somehow Harry had realised this even if Draco had a hard time accepting that fact himself

"How can he be so noble, so selfless, so loving after everything that he's been through?" Draco's voice was soft and barely audiable but it sounded loud to his ears.

"He gets that from his mother. Lily Potter was the kindest, most loving and noblest person I've ever met." Draco turned his head and gave his former Head of House a curious look.

Snape stood and looked down at Harry who seemed to have slipped back into a relaxed state of sleep again. "She and I were childhood friends and she brightened my bleak existence from the moment I met her on that playground. I was just a poor, lonesome, oddly dressed boy whose parents constantly fought but she was willing to reach out to me with her kindness and gentle manner. She was there for me when no one else was, drying my tears, letting me rage at the world when things at home were worse than usual. Later she'd heal my injures when my father got a little heavy handed with my punishments. She never questioned me or made me feel like I was deserving of the treatment I received. She understood and accepted all that I was without question or complaint and helped me to see things about myself that I'd never noticed before. I wish..."

He paused for a long moment and looked away from Harry's still form and Draco's questioning gaze to stare at the opposite wall, his eyes blank and unreadable.

"What do you wish, sir?" Draco asked softly curious about where this tale was heading.

Snape sighed heavily and looked at Draco with deep sadness in his gaze. "I wish I had never driven my best friend, my only love away. I wish I had realized sooner the path I was taking at the time. All the time I spent with your father's crowd at school drove a wedge between Lily and I but during that time all I really wanted was to be with her. They never understood me like she did. They thought they did but Lily was the only one who knew all of my secrets because she was the only one I trusted with them. I loved her with all my heart and soul but I was too stubborn to force my claim. I was waiting for her to see me as something other than a friend. I waited to long and one misplace word, one slip of the tongue was all it took to drive her from me. I lost her forever and I have suffered every day since then. I cannot take back what was said. I cannot turn back the hands of time to correct one of the greatest mistakes of my life but I can protect the last part of Lily left alive."

"He's your second chance, the chance to redeem yourself. A chance to right all the wrongs you've done in the past." Draco looked down at Harry again seeing him with new eyes.

"Yes. I have been protecting him because of the love I still have for his mother. I made a promise to her the night before she was killed that I would watch over and protect her son if she was unable to do so. I swore to her that I would do so but for years I've done only that. I've been following the letter of that promise but not it's spirit. My heart was not in it because I thought I saw to much of his father in him and because to a degree I blamed him for his mother's death. I wrongfully shifted the blame that should have been mine onto the one who was blameless. He never asked for any of this. Only lately have I come to discover how wrong I've been about him. His forgiveness was more than I deserved after all I'd done to him in the past and his kindness towards me since then, Defensive Magic lessons aside, was more than I expected. He is in the end his mother's child."

Draco nodded. "I feel the same. I wish fate would leave him alone for once and let him rest before sending another blow at him. It's not fair."

"Nothing in his life has ever been fair, Draco. Nor has your own life for that matter. Both of you have been groomed for years for your roles from a young age. Fate will not let any of us be until our destinies are met. All we can do now is watch over him and protect him until the time is right."

"You sound like Dumbledore," Draco said with laughter in his eyes.

"I suppose the balmy old coot has rubbed off on my somewhat but don't expect me to start offering lemon sherberts."

"Yes, sir," Draco grinned at Snape before both of them returned to their silent vigil.

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_Harry was laying on his back looking up at the sky above him trying to decide what the clouds overhead were shaped like. His friends were grouped around him while behind the giant squid was waving it's tentacles slowly in the air. He could hear his friend's whispered conversation though he could not hear the actual words that made it up. After a few minutes of whispering, Hermione and Ron came to sit on either side of him leaving Luna, Ginny and Neville by the shore skipping stones and talking about exams._

_"Harry you have to go back," said Hermione without preamble. "I'm sure everyone is worried about you."_

_Harry continued to look up at the clouds moving overhead and ignored Hermione's words. All he really wanted was to be left alone for a bit to rest. He felt like he'd reached his limit on what he could take anymore. One more attack like the last and he would collapse from the stress. _

_"She's right, mate. It's time you went back. They're waiting for you to wake up. We're waiting for you to return."_

_"I'm not ready to go, Ron. Okay!" he swallowed the rest of what he was going to say. "I just need to rest for a bit that's all. I'm tired of always being the one attacked. Why doesn't anyone understand this?"_

_"We do Harry. We understand better than you think. But still you can rest when you return to yourself. Harry, you said this attack came from Aetren. You need to warn them. You're the only one that can."_

_Harry fixed Hermione with a glare. "Don't you think I know that, Hermione! I was the only one who heard the snake and understood what it said. But still I need to rest first. I'm so tired, more tired and drained than I can ever remember being before."_

_"Have it your way, Harry but promise us that you'll wake soon. They are all waiting for you."_

_"I promise. I just need a little rest and then I'll be fine." Harry yawned and then drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, knowing that his friends were watching over him and that they would keep the nightmare and memories at bay for a time so he could finally rest._

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Dudley was resting in his room, his head throbbing with a headache caused by his many attempts to reach his cousin's mind through the shield that was over it. He hadn't been able to reach him at all except for the brief time they'd all been drawn into Harry's mind. It was like he kept running into a vast impenetrable wall whenever he ventured into his cousin's mind. Finally he had given up after he'd been blasted across the room by a blast of magic from Harry during one of his cousin's convulsions. His back still hurt from it's contact with the wall but he couldn't find it in his heart to be angry at his cousin.

Dudley rolled over on his bed and stared out the window, thinking about the few unfocused flashes of his cousin's memories he'd managed to see during his fits. They made him sick. How anyone could do such things to another human being was beyond him and he shivered as he thought about how close he'd come to becoming like Voldemort and his minions. He too had hated certain people because they were weaker or different from him and no one was weaker or more different than his cousin, Harry. Everyday of his life he'd had the idea drilled into him that he was far better than those who weren't what he perceived as normal. He'd had it pounded into him from an early age that he was better than his freak of a cousin because he was normal while Harry was abnormal, an abomination, a threat to the normal world. He'd been one step away from sliding into the same muck pit the Death Eaters dwelled in when he was forced to face what he was becoming at the hands of the Dementors a year ago. He's seen himself as he truly was and the vision he saw had terrified him. In fact it still frightened him in his dreams sometimes.

It had been his 'freak' cousin who had saved him from himself that night. It had been Harry, whom he had tormented for fourteen years and whom he believed to be beneath him, who found it in his heart to save him. Dudley hadn't been able to understand this action nor could he truly explain it now. There was no reason at all for Harry to have bothered trying to save him. They were enemies without an ounce of compassion of each other, or at least that was what Dudley believed at the time. How could Harry have laid aside fourteen years of torment at his hands to rescue the one who'd made it his life's goal to hurt and humiliate him as much and as often as possible? Dudley fully expected Harry to leave him and save himself but he had not and had even willingly faced the wrath of his cousin's distraught parents to make sure Dudley arrived home safely. Dudley could not understand where Harry's compassion came from when he'd never been shown any at the Dursley's nor how his cousin could be so selfless despite all he'd been through.

Dudley did not understand what motivated Harry to do the things he did but he did know one thing: Despite what his parents had told him all of his life, Harry was not worthless nor was he a freak. Harry was good man, a strong man and maybe even a better man than Dudley. He was also a man with a heavy burden to bare, the fate of two worlds in his hands and a destiny that he'd never wanted. Being the wizarding world's Savior and Chosen One was weighing heavily on his cousin as were the losses he'd already suffered at the hands of the dark forces. How he could continue to fight was beyond Dudley's comprehension. He knew he would have given up long ago were he put in the same position. How long before Harry broke under the pressure and strain of his duty? Would they even know it before it was too late to help?

Suddenly Dudley knew that he needed to do something to help. He may not be able to fight for his cousin in the way wizards did but Harry did not have to face this alone any longer. He was going to do everything in his power to help Harry and the others win the war and he was going to help his cousin grow strong and fit again. Then maybe he could forgive himself for all the wrongs he had done in the past. It was not enough to be a true friend to Harry anymore, he had to try and do more.

He felt a mental tug on his shields that told him of Harry's return to the land of the living and he smiled. It was time to start preparing Harry to face his past and his destiny. This time he would not fail Harry.


	11. Training

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**By: A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's note: **Sorry for the long wait on this. I was busy with real life issues for several weeks and was unable to write much of anything good. Hope some you are still reading. I'm planning major updates on all my stories now that things have settled down again. Thanks for all the great reviews and suggestions.

**Chapter 11: Training**

_"Often the test of courage is not to die but to live"- _Conte Vittorio Alfieri (1749-1803)

Harry felt as if the long nightmare he'd been living the last several months was at long last over. It was as if he'd finally truly awoke and he could at last being dealing with everything that had happened to at the hands of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The latest attack on his mind had opened a great floodgate that finally allowed him to speak about his captivity without reservation, which in turn allowed him to finally begin the long process of healing mentally from an ordeal he'd long ago healed physically from. As he spoke about it he felt as if some evil poison was being drawn out of him a little bit at a time and he began to feel more like himself and less like the slave Voldemort had tried to create.

Surprisingly it was Dudley who helped him the most by just listening to whatever Harry would tell him. Somehow he felt Dudley was the best one to talk to because he understood Harry in a way the others didn't. Dudley felt honored that Harry trusted him enough to tell him everything and he knew he would never divulge anything Harry told him nor would he pass judgement on his cousin's actions. Dudley and Harry spent hours talking as Harry recovered from the snake poisoning and the Curse of Sleeping Death. Harry found himself telling Dudley things he'd never even told his best friends. About his fears of failing in the task fate at set him. About his fear of death. About how he had longed to die in the darker days of his captivity. About the fear that seemed to override everything else when people touched him or else got to close. About the fear that no one would ever want him after everything that had been done to him. About how he feared that he was going dark and how he was the cause of all the deaths that happened around him. As he talked he felt as if he was purging something evil and purifying himself of the darkness that had lodged itself deep inside him. Dudley was there to offer him the comfort of a shoulder to cry on and to tell him that everything would be alright and that he would find his strength again. Most days Harry was even able to believe it though there were still days that he felt depression settle over him.

At the moment he was sitting on the garden wall watching Sothis as the phoenix played a game of aerial tag with a falcon that belonged to Godric Gryffindor. He'd just been cleared to be out of bed by the Healer who had declared that he was fit enough to continue his classes the next day. Since Harry had not seen the sun in several weeks they'd suggested he spend some time in the garden but told him to return to the manor the moment he became cold since there was now a strange chill in the air. Harry laughed as he watched the two birds soaring through the air, feeling the joy Sothis was experiencing and longing for his Firebolt or any broom so that he could join them. For once there was no pain, sorrow or fear in his eyes and he felt completely relaxed despite sitting in nearly exactly the same place the snake had attacked him. Absentmindedly he ran a finger over the Lightening Mark on his left arm. It was now nothing more than a normal, though disfiguring, scar. The spells that Voldemort had woven into it in his attempt to control Harry could control him no longer. The Dark curses had been broken by the power of the venom of the snake that Aetren sent to attack him.

Harry still couldn't bring himself to believe that it had been that simple and that Snape and his original Healers with all their knowledge had not come up with this solution before now. He took his eyes off the birds flying overhead and ran a finger over the slightly raised and jagged scar on his left arm again, his eyes studying it carefully. There was no tingle of magic, no whisper of the darkness that had been ingrained into the Mark, not a sign of the sickly green aura that had once surrounded it. Nothing at all to indicate that it had ever been anything more than a normal though horrible looking scar.

"I still can't believe it," he said quietly as he studied the scar once more.

"The Poison Green is a very rare snake and it's venom has many magical properties, including breaking dark curses," Harry looked up at the voice and saw Godric leaning against one of the decorative stone archways nearby. Harry smiled at his Head of House. "You are lucky Aetren chose that particular snake and not another."

"Who would have thought I would be thankful for being poisoned, " he winced a little as he landed on the ground and then he paused to watch Sothis as he plummated from the sky and only to pull up at the last moment.

"You are very sure that the snake said Aetren had sent it to kill you?"

Harry's eyes found Godric's and he nodded sharply. "I have the gift to speak with snakes even as Lord Slytherin does, sir. Dark power or not the gift has allowed me to save my friends on several occasions. From what the snake said Aetren clearly wants me dead now that I have refused his 'offer'. What I want to know is why, sir?"

Godric stood, silently contemplating the boy before him. There was a quiet strength in the fragile seeming youth and a hint of steel had crept into his voice as he asked his question. For the first time Godric saw himself in young Harry. It had been masked by all the pain and suffering the young man had gone through but now that he was returning to himself Godric could see it clearly. As much as he hated placing another burden on Harry's shoulders he realised that he was ready to hear it.

"Please tell me why Aetren sees me as a threat, sir. I pray you will not hide things from me as my old Headmaster has done in the past." He looked directly into Godric's eyes, his green eyes boring into his mentor's.

"There was a Prophecy spoken just before your arrival..."

Once Godric finished his explanation Harry felt a numbness that had nothing to do with the chill of the day spread through him. He could feel his heart beating faster. Another Prophecy had been laid upon him! It shouldn't be possible as he was already under the guise of one if that one was true and Dumbledore had assured him it was then this second one must also be true. His thoughts whirled in his head until he could hardly stand it. He wanted to scream his frustration at fate and for one panicked moment Harry felt the urge to run away from both Prophecies, both Dark Lords and both wars but in his heart he knew he wouldn't. He would never leave others to suffer as he had. He could not. Fear was whining in his head but he'd finally found himself again and though he was mortally afraid he could feel some of his old courage moving through him and giving him a way passed the fear.

Godric watched his young charge carefully after telling him of the Prophecy, unsure of how he would react to the news. He saw Harry's face pale considerably and his body tremble slightly. Harry was silent for so long that Godric feared he might have entered into a flashback and he was just about to move toward him when Harry seemed to snap out of it. Godric could see a steely determination in young Harry's eyes and a deep well of courage as well as fear. He smiled inwardly as he watched Harry square his shoulders and stand at his full height, calling Sothis to him with a sharp command.

"Thank you, Lord Gryffindor. It seems I must resume my training as soon as possible. There will be no more holding back," Harry started back toward the manor house but Godric put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You will not be alone in this, Harry. We shall be with you, your friends shall be with you as will the spirits of those you have left behind."

Harry blinked rapidly trying not to let his tears show. "Thank you, sir. I will remember that."

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"Are you sure you're ready for this? You've only been out of bed three days." Severus eyed Harry critically, noting how pale the young man was.

"You said yourself that I need to relearn the offensive spells I know at my new power levels a few weeks ago." Harry watched the snowflakes from an early snow storm gather on the stone wall and wrapped his thick, black cloak around himself more tightly to conserve body heat. "I need training, Severus. If I'm to stand a chance against them I need more training then what I've had thus far."

"Don't you think it would be better to wait until you are fully healed?" concern was evident in his voice. "The Healers..."

"There's no time, Sev. Aetren is on the move, maybe not openly, but he's already attacked me three times. You and I both know that it's only a matter of time before he either makes another attempt against me or moves more openly again." Harry's eyes blazed with a fire that Snape had not seen in them for a long time and his heart lifted a little despite the seriousness of the topic they were discussing.

"If you are certain that you are ready to start again..." Snape's voice trailed off.

Harry closed his eyes and a slight shiver passed over him. Sothis, who sat on his bonded's shoulder, gave a quiet trill of encouragement. Harry opened his eyes again and Snape saw a myriad of emotions reflected there.

"I have to get over the fear of my powers, Severus," his eyes were shining with unshed tears but his voice was firm and sure. "Voldemort took everything from me during those long months I was captive and I want it all back."

"It's about time, Potter," Snape said with a bit of his old sneering tone though he was smiling at Harry.

"I know it won't be easy but I need to do this. It's the only way to reclaim what was lost."

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Harry's return to his regular round of classes was cause for a mini-celebration of sorts at breakfast the following morning. He sat happily between Dudley and Draco who were busy catching him up on everything that had happened while he'd been laid up as they filled his plate with twice as much food as the others were eating. Cygnus sat across from him his dark eyes snapping with mischief worthy for the Weasley twins and Harry couldn't help but grin back. He hardly noticed Draco and Dudley's help during the meal not the looks that the Four Founders were giving him.

Both Helga and Rowena were relieved to see the change in young Harry. He was no longer the scared, broken and hurt boy they had meet at the Ancient's Gate. They were aware that he was still recovering from all that had happened to him but they could see a quiet strength in him that they hadn't noticed before. It was very clear that he'd, at some point during his recent illness, come to terms with what had happened. Rowena hoped that he would be ready to deal with Aetren when the time came.

Godric and Salazar where also watching Harry though they were not being as obvious about it as the two women. Though Harry was quiet as before there seemed to be a presence around him now that had not been there before. It was almost as if he'd taken up the mantle of leadership at least that's what Godric felt. Those that had come with him had begun to defer to him from the moment he'd been allowed to leave his bed as if he was already their leader and now the students were doing the same. They were both relieved to see this for it seemed the Prophecy was correct: Harry would be the leader they needed, the strong pillar that would hold up their fortress when the time was right. As Harry headed off to his first class of the day the Founders noticed that he was followed by at least one member of each of the four Houses if not more and they wondered again what it was that caused almost everyone that meet Harry to want to follow him. Even the Slytherins who normally preferred to work alone followed him without a thought.

Classes passed quickly for Harry now that he was able to give them his full concentration. The knowledge imparted by his current professors was still being absorbed and cataloged by his mind at a rate that scared him sometimes. He was still having difficulty with transfiguration, which had never been his strong suit, but now it was due mainly to the fact that he kept putting to much power into the incantations. Still his control was improving by the day so he was reasonably pleased. Even better than this were his private Defense lessons with Snape. For the first time since his capture he was able to fire off several offensive spell in addition to the defensive and though they wer not yet at full power he could tell they were much stronger than they had been before.

Harry's heart was light as he walked down corridor toward Godric's office. Briefly he wondered what his Head of House wanted of him. His note, received during his regular Defense class that morning, was vague offering no hint of what Godric wished to see him about. Several moments later, after taking a wrong turn and ending up in the servant's wing, he stood before the golden oak door that lead into Gryffindor's private chambers and office. Harry smoothed down the front of his robes, ran a hand through his hair and knocked firmly on the door.

"Come," said a faint voice and Harry pushed open the door to find not only Godric but the other Founders, Selene and Snape there as well. They were gathered around Gryffindor, who sat behind a desk made of dark wood. Harry swallowed nervously but stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him.

"You wished to see me, sir?" Harry's voice held none of the fear that was causing his heart to beat wildly in his chest.

"Come sit down Harry. We need to discuss your training schedule now that you are getting stronger," Harry's eyes lite up and he sat down at once, anxious to begin.

"What will I be studying and how long do I have before Aetren makes his next move?"

Snape couldn't help but smile. This was the Harry he remembered, the one who took action and who was always ready to fight. He'd found his fighting spirit again and though it was not as strong as it had been yet Snape rejoiced at it's return. For the first time Snape felt certain that Harry would recover fully from his ordeal and for that he was glad.

Selene was the first to speak. "We are not sure when Aetren will strike next though we are certain he will try to attack Hogwarts itself. My powers of Sight have told me only that much and though our spies within his ranks work endlessly to get us more information they have thus far been unsuccessful."

"Those of us gathered here will be training you in the several branches of magic known to the Mages as well as Muggle combat. Professor Snape and myself will be training you in advanced offensive and defensive magics. I will also be training you in the use of sword and bow. Salazar will train you in the use and brewing of potions for combat and healing as well as teaching you to recognize edible plants in the field. You will also practice speaking Parseltongue with him as there a very few spells that require that language. Helga will train you in stealth and advanced Healing spells while Rowena will teach you some more advanced Transfiguration. Selene will be training you in the basic use of the powers of the elements."

Harry's eyes widened at each word Godric spoke. "What about my normal classes?"

"You will still be required to attend your regular classes but will be exempt from tests. Your regular classes will explain the theories behind what you will be learning in your extra lessons so they will still be relevant."

Harry nodded. "When will I start the extra lessons?"

"At sunrise on the morrow."

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Harry went to bed early that night hoping to get a good night's sleep but it was not to be. He'd been having a rather soothing dream about Quidditch.

_He was high in the air chasing the Golden Snitch, which seemed to hover just out of his reach whenever he got to close to it. He felt more than saw Draco behind him and knew that he was also in pursuit of the tiny golden ball. He looked down at the stands far below him and saw Dudley, Snape, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville and Ginny all watching him and he waved at them with a smile.Suddenly a fog obscured the field from his sight and he felt the air current beneath him shift and his broom started to float off-course. He tried to regain control of it but no matter what he tried it continued to drift. He looked around but there was no sign of anyone. He was quite alone. Trying not to panic he tried again to stop his broom but all that happened for his efforts was that he nearly fell._

_The misty fog cleared slightly and he could see a tall tower made of black stone that seemed to pulse with Dark Magic. He could feel it brushing against his shields. Death, blood and pain were heavy in the air around him making him feel sick. A fridged coldness seeped into his bones and he shivered. His broom carried him closer and closer to the tower until he realized that it was about to crash into the cold black stone of it. Desperately he tried to stop it but once more he failed and he closed his eyes waiting for the crash._

_It never came. Just like the barrier that guarded Platform 9 3/4 he passed harmlessly through the wall and when Harry opened his eyes again he found himself in a high-ceilinged and ornate throne room. A man in robes the color of blood was kneeling before another man in dark red who Harry somehow knew was Aetren though he had never seen the man before in his life._

_"Has the plan been set in motion?" Aetrens melodious voice filled the room and Harry felt drawn to him for a moment before he was able to fight off the urge._

_"Yes, my Lord. Everything is in place and the Light is unaware of our movements."_

_Aetren smirked. "Very good. Tell them to watch and wait. Do nothing unless the opportunity for capturing him without a fight presents itself to them or unless they hear a direct order from either myself or Zolaren."_

_Better prepared this time, Harry felt a wave of something very like the Imperius Curse wash over him as the Dark Lord below him spoke. _

_"Yes, my Lord, " the kneeling man bowed more deeply still._

_"Send Zolaren to me at once and remember not to fail me Daithi. This is your only chance to redeem yourself in my eyes. The lives of your men depend on the success of this mission." Aetren's voice was a soft purr and sounded almost gentle but the man flinched as if struck._

_Daithi shivered slightly as he rose though he kept his head bowed. "I understand, my Lord. I...we will not fail you again."_

The scene before him dissolved into nothingness and Harry found himself sitting bolt upright in bed unable to determine if what he'd just experienced was real or merely a dream.

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Harry's green eyes were glowing with the power that was building within him and Salazar took an involuntary step back as the light around the young man intensified for a moment before it gathered at the ends of his fingertips until all ten digits were glowing like miniature suns. He stretched out his right hand and the light in his fingertips condensed into a glowing sphere. Harry grinned and looked over at Salazar who nodded. Harry said one sharp word in Parseltongue and the ball of light hurtled toward the practice dummy at top speed. The practice dummy burst into controlled flames the moment the spell hit and was soon reduced to a powdery white ash.

_" Well done, Harry,"_ Salazar's voice carried across the room.

_"Thank you, sir, " _Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a few deep breaths.

_"Time for a rest, I say."_

Harry nodded and made his way to the table near the back wall of the room. Salazar conducted his private lessons with Harry entirely in Parseltongue but Harry was used to it by now. He had found that he could both speak and understand the language better now because of it. There was far more to Parseltongue then Harry had first thought possible and many nuances that he'd never even been aware of before having no one to practice the language with. He'd never given it much thought before and had never realised that though he'd understood Parseltongue he'd never really and truly **understood **it at all until now.

Harry sat down and took a drink of water from a wooden mug on the table while he waited for Salazar to say something.

_"Your power levels are more consistent now but you need to be careful that you don't burn yourself out hoping that spell will finish it."_

_Yes, sir. I'm still not used to the flood of power that comes to me now. Before it was merely a trickle," _he shook the hair out of his eyes.

_"Though you may have more power than your used to that doesn't mean that you could not burn that power out. In fact it is more likely than less. Wizards with powers as extensive as yours tend to think themselves to be indistructable and that their powers will never fail them. The truth is that because their powers burn hotter and despite the fact that their cores are deeper they are more prone to magical exhaustion then the rest of us."_

Harry nodded and thought about how tired he felt after his training sessions as well as how often he'd seen Dumbledore himself looking worn out. Briefly he remembered at least one time during his captivity when Voldemort himself had been unable to cast a full powered Cruciatus Curse at him because of the major spellcasting he'd done on Harry the night before.

_"I will remember that, sir."_ Harry heard the sound of a throat clearing and his head whipped around to see Draco standing framed in the doorway.

"If you two are quite finished hissing at each other, sir, Lady Hufflepuff sends me to inform you that the plants you require are ready for harvesting," Draco bowed politely to his Head of House and then turned to Harry. "Lord Gryffindor wants to see you in his office, Harry."

_"May I be excused, sir?" _Harry asked and he saw Draco shiver slightly.

"_Yes. We will be starting healing potions next week so be ready."_

Harry nodded again and gave Slytherin a bow before leaving with Draco.

"To hear Parseltongue coming from the lips of a powerful Light Wizard is creepy, Harry. Sure you're not planning to turn Dark?" Draco's voice carried a teasing tone that made Harry grin.

"Oh sure. Voldemort and me are such good mates that he'd be happy to see me join him," Harry paused for dramatic effect. "But I think I'd rather join Aetren than him. He's much Darker and much more evil then Voldemort._"_

Draco's jaw dropped clearly shocked by Harry's words and Harry started laughing. "The look on your face just now...priceless."

Draco grinned tentatively back. Harry had actually made a joke about the two Dark wizards that were gunning for him. Draco wasn't sure how to react to this.

"Hey mate. I'm just joking," Harry's voice sounded panicked.

"That's the point. Since when do you joke about the Dark Lords and your situation?"

"Since the day I decided I would continue to fight them until the day they are defeated for all time. Since the day I accepted my destiny and the truth of the Prophecies. And since the day I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and my lot in life. I **will** defeat them and they will never hurt anyone ever again. I swear it on the life my parents died to save." Harry's voice was filled with certainty and for the first time he truly believed he could do just that.

Draco's heart filled with hope at Harry's words. They were full of such conviction, such certainty that Draco couldn't help but be inspired by them. Voldemort had made a grievous error when had sought to break the 'Chosen One'. He had not broken Harry, he'd made his adversary stronger yet again. He'd once again handed Harry the power necessary to defeat him without even being aware of it. Harry Potter was back stronger than ever and both Aetren and Voldemort himself would rue the day they crossed wands.


	12. Winter's Calm

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

_**by: A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's note: **Sorry for not updating for a bit. I've had personal issues to deal with that have prevented me from doing to much writing and whenever I attempted to do so it was all crap since I couldn't keep my attention focused on it. Here's a new chapter for you though. Hope you like it and as always read and review.

_**Chapter 12: Winter's Calm**_

_"Power is not alluring to pure minds" Thomas Jefferson_

A gray mist rose from the underground lake as a cloaked and hooded man moved through the cold and damp underground cavern. A solitary lantern was held in the man's left hand and it cast a feeble circle of light in front of him. He shivered slightly in the chill be continued onward.

He was a nondescript man with dark brown eyes and brown hair. He looked much the same as anyone from the area and could therefore hide himself within a crowd of locals without drawing anyone's attention. Benjamin Atherton liked it that way. It helped him a great deal in his work as a spy and he used it to his advantage. No one ever thought to look for a wizard hidden among non-wizarding folk nor would they think to look for a pureblood wizard hidden within the ranks of the peasant class.

There was a skittering noise behind him that caused Ben to jump and pull out his wand. He scanned the area around him but could see nothing save a shimmering light in the distance and the edge of the lake where the dark still waters met the craggy shore. He shivered slightly again but continued along the lake's shore toward a smudge of darkness that was an opening into another passage within the cave system.

"Why the bloody hell did he want to meet here of all places?" he muttered into the silence.

After about ten minutes Ben arrived at the meeting place: a vast stone room with ornate pillars spaced evenly throughout it. Torches held in stone scones along the walls ignited at his entrance throwing undulating shadows on the walls and dispelling the darkness to the far reaches of the room. On the far wall was a raised dais surrounded by a glowing magical shield that pulsed softly, a rainbow of colors moving across it's surface. In the middle of the dais, held suspended in midair, was a beautifully carved wand. The dark wood gleamed in the light cast by the torches but Ben could not make out any of the pattern on the wand's finely carved length.

On the wall behind the wand were carved runes of a type that Ben had never seen before. They looked ancient, so ancient that he could barely read them. The letters were cast in shadow and what little he could read seemed to be garbled as if the runes were slipping around on the wall.

"Beautiful isn't it?" a voice said softly, almost reverently. Ben spun around and trained his wand on the red robed figure who'd managed to sneak up behind him. "That is the Wand of Light, one of the magical world's most ancient and powerful artifacts."

Ben's eyes widened considerably, "I thought the Wand of Light was merely a legend."

"All legends have a basis in fact, Mr. Atherton," the man gave Ben a smile, which was not returned.

"Aidan," Ben's voice held no warmth or friendliness in it.

Aidan McKinnon continued to smile at his old school friend and clapped him on the back. "Good to see you too. It's been twenty years."

"Why have you asked to meet here?" Ben flinched at the contact and moved slightly away from his former friend.

Aidan put his hands into the sleeves of his blood red robes to warm them and took a careful look at Ben and the area around them, sending out his magic to ensure that they were alone in the room. After discovering no one within the room or even in the cavern, he put up a privacy ward around the room and turned to Ben.

"To show you this," he gestured toward the wand resting within the shield. "Aetren is trying to locate it."

Ben studied the wand again for several moments, trying to read the power of it through it's protective shield but was unable to do so because of interference from the shield.

"Why are you telling me this? You know Aetren would kill you if he discovered you know were the wand is," Ben's face was a pale mask and his voice was serious.

"I have to do something to stop this madness. It can't go on. It may already be too late for me but I will protect this secret to the end. My word is my bond, Ben."

"Why should I believe you, Aidan? You betrayed us, betrayed everything we once believed," Ben's voice was heavy with emotion and his eyes held a pleading look. "Come back to the Light, Aidan. Come back before it's too late."

Aidan shook his head, his gray eyes unreadable, "It's too late for me to go back. Please just let me do this one last thing. Let me help the Light have a chance at victory even if the Dark has a claim on my soul. Please just believe me. Let the Phoenix rise. Tell the Phoenix Childe of the wand. He will have need of it's powers soon. Just tell him, I beg of you in the name of our old friendship."

Ben shut his eyes, images of the past flashing on his closed eyelids. He saw Aidan and himself as children in the small village that had been their home. He saw his friend and himself in their Hogwarts robes pulling pranks on the students and laughing during meals and free time. He saw Aidan and himself fighting the dark and twisted creatures that Aetren sent to attack their home village. He saw too the night that Aidan betrayed their small band of fighters to Aetren's men by leading them into a trap. Ben had been the only one to escape the trap alive. He took a deep breath before he opened his eyes again.

He looked his former friend in the eye and saw the pleading look, the fear and the desperation within his friends gray eyes. He knew then that Aidan was speaking the truth and that somewhere under the mask of coldness he was forced to wear, his old school friend still existed.

"I swear to you it shall be done as you requested. The Phoenix Childe will know of the wand," Ben clasped Aidan's elbow in a show of respect between two warriors. "If you ever need an escape you have only to contact me again and I will see to it that you disappear somewhere the Dark can never find you."

Aidan's head jerked up and he studied Ben for a moment before he nodded his head. He turned swiftly and was soon lost to the darkness. Ben looked at the wand one last time and returned the way he'd come, the torches extinguishing as he left.

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Snow lay like a thick carpet on the ground making everything for miles around look pure and clean. Snow was falling gently down leaving white flakes on Harry's dark cloak and hood but he paid it no mind. His thoughts were elsewhere and he'd come outside despite the lateness of the hour and the chill in the air to have a few quiet moments alone with his thoughts. He stood without moving, staring at nothing in particular while his thoughts whirled around in his head. After a few moments he leaned against the stone wall of the manor house and closed his eyes as he lifted his face toward the sky. Sharp pinpricks of cold hit his face and closed eyelids to melt where they landed.

Everything had been moving so quickly of late that his head was spinning. He felt the flow of magic around him as well as the pulse of his own magic moving through him. So much had changed for him in the last few months and he was fully aware now of how far he had come but equally aware of how far he still needed to go. He was being prepared for the war that would eventually find it's way to him and for the confrontations that had been prophesied to come. There was no question of that now and no more hesitation on his part. Neither the friends he'd made here nor the ones he had left behind in his own time could afford that for their time was rapidly running out.

Harry wasn't exactly sure how he knew that only that he did. There was something in the ambient magic around him: the faint feeling of something wrong. It was almost as if his own magic was resonating with someone else's. If he had to guess he would have to say he was sensing Aetren wherever he was and the Founders had agreed with his assessment when he'd spoken of it. This was not the same as his connection to Voldemort through the scar he had inflicted on Harry as a baby, this was something more. It was something far deeper.

It had started coming upon him a little over two weeks ago before the first heavy snowfall of winter had appeared to seal off the valley that contained Hogwarts and the small village that surrounded it from the rest of the world. Harry had been in lessons with Helga and a mixed group of students at the time when a wave of dizziness caused him to sway on his feet and nearly collapse into Cygnus, who had caught him as he fell. Thinking that Harry had caught the Fainting Sickness that was running rampant among the students, staff and servants Helga had given him a potion for the symptoms and had sent him to bed for the rest of the day to recover.

Harry had felt fine by the next morning and had returned to his regular round of classes only to have a second attack of dizziness during his Offensive and Defensive Magic lessons with Snape. Unlike Helga, Snape had a suspicion about it's cause and he had sat Harry down while he waited for the moment to pass. After a few minutes Harry had looked up at him, his face still sheet white and his eyes easily as wide as when he had been told of his mind's connection to Voldemort. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wiping the sweat from his face as he did so.

"Something feels wrong," his eyes had darted around the room as if seeking escape or perhaps the source of the 'wrongness' he was sensing. His eyes settled on Severus's left arm. Something there was pulsing, something he could feel brushing against his awareness.

Snape rolled up the sleeve of his robe, exposing the skull with a snake protruding from it's mouth that had been burned into his skin by magic. He saw Harry shiver as his eyes went blank for a moment. A few deep breaths later Harry's eyes cleared again and he stared down at the Dark Mark with revulsion in his green eyes. He looked up at Snape trying to read the other man's emotions and Snape nodded, allowing Harry to examine the Mark more closely.

Harry's eyes saw the swirling colors of Dark magic around and within the Mark. They were a sickly and murky browish red color that made his stomach roll to look at. He could also feel the pulse of it echoing with his own magic causing a brief flash of pain in his scar. He held a hand over it and the pulse he could faintly feel grew stronger. Frowning he rubbed his scar a little and moved a finger toward the Mark only to be repelled as his own magic reacted instinctively to the proximity of Dark magic.

"It appears, Mr. Potter, that you are able to sense Dark magic and that it is somehow resonating with your own Light magic."

"It's Prescot, sir," he said absentmindly as he mind tried to understand this new development. "What does that mean, sir?"

"It means, for lack of a better phrase, that you are your own Dark Detector."

The look in Harry's eyes was one of utter confusion but it was also clear that he was thinking about what Snape said. After a few moments his eyes widened and he looked sharply at Snape.

"How is this possible? I've never had that power before. I've only ever been able to sense when Voldemort is near or what his emotions are. What has caused this?"

"Have you never sensed the magic that is in everything around us? Most wizards and even squibs can sense it to a certain degree. My guess is that you are now more...sensitive...then other wizards have been in the past."

Harry thought about how the wands in Ollivander's had seemed to be whispering to him the day he'd first entered the magical world. He thought about how he thought he could hear the books in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library whispering and about how he'd often thought he could sense the pulse of the ancient castle's magic around him. Then he thought about how he'd always been able, even at a young age, to sense the magic in the people and objects around him without even touching them. He nodded to Snape in acknowledgement of the fact that he had always been able to sense magic even when he wasn't aware of what he was sensing. They had gone on with the lesson after that and Snape had told him to be sure to pay attention to what he was picking up on. It could be the difference between life and death someday.

Harry sighed as he wrapped his cloak tighter around himself to keep out the cold that had penetrated it. He watched the swirling snow for a moment allowing it to calm his thoughts. Aetren was moving somewhere not to distant from where Harry now stood and the Dark Lord was as aware of him as Harry was of him. It would only be a matter of time before he would make another move against the Light. The apparent safety of the valley that enclosed him did nothing to ease his fear and concern. He didn't believe for one moment that Aetren didn't have minions living within this isolated valley nor means for contacting them.

"It's what I would do were I him," Harry thought as he shivered in response to another pulse of Dark magic from Aetren.

He closed his eyes a moment and lapsed into thought again. Aetren would be coming with the dawn of spring with his full army. The valley would once more be open to invasion and there was very little Harry could do to prevent that. Aetren wanted him and he was going to try and take him by whatever means he could. Harry was not naive enough to believe anything else. He'd spent all but ten years of his life having the darkest wizard in centuries out for his blood and Aetren was no different that Voldemort in that respect. Both of them wanted Harry and the power he held and both of them were not above killing innocents to acquire that power from him.

"But I cannot allow anyone else to be hurt because of me. I'll have to confront him alone," This thought sobered him and fear crawled up his spine. He was not ready to face Aetren and he knew this. He needed to train, to prepare for the day they would finally meet.

He opened his eyes and looked at the shadow shrouded shapes around him, this his eyes wandered to the manor house and his thoughts turned to the children inside. His eyes hardened a moment. He was not going to allow them to be hurt.

"Hero-complex much?" said a drawling voice nearby.

Harry whipped around and found Draco standing the the kitchen doorway from which was spilling light and warmth, "I don't want to see anyone else hurt."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't feel that way, Harry but you're not as alone as you think," Draco's gray eyes bore into Harry's, "We're here with you and we will fight."

The words had an instant effect on Harry and he felt a warmth spreading through him. He gave Draco a half-smile and a nod which the Slytherin returned, "It's strange to hear you say that."

"Why is it so strange?" Draco's voice held no hint of anger only curiosity.

"We've hated each other from the moment we first met so I would have thought that you would want to fight against the Light rather than with it. I never expected I would earn the support of the two top Slytherins or that you would willing fight against Voldemort," Harry pushed his hair out of his eyes with his right hand and the moonlight picked out the faint scar on it that had been carved there by Umbridge's blood quill. It also picked out the twisted scar that ran around Harry's wrist that disappeared into Harry's sleeve. Draco knew that the scar continued it's twisting path up Harry's arm almost to the shoulder.

"I would rather follow my own heart, make my own choices for once," he studied the scar on Harry's wrist a moment knowing full well the instrument of torture that had been used to inflict the wound. Briefly he wondered how Harry had managed to remain sane and alive after being subjected to it not to mention how he was still even able to use the arm. "And I chose to follow you rather than a madman who would bring only suffering and ruin to our world."

Harry rubbed at his right wrist for a moment as if it still pained him, a blank look in his eyes and a brief flash of pain at the memory the scar called forth crossed his features. He said nothing for awhile and Draco wondered if it had been a good idea to even make such an oblique reference to Voldemort. He watched Harry closely but saw no sign that he was experiencing any type of flashback. After a few moments life returned to Harry's eyes and he looked over at Draco.

"He is out there somewhere waiting for a chance to make his move. I will be ready when he does," his voice carried and edge of steel in it and he held Draco's eyes for a long moment before moving passed him to go back inside. Draco followed slowly behind him and knew that Harry was speaking not only of the Dark Lord of their own time but also of Aetren. He swore to himself that he would also be ready to face this new threat and that he would protect Harry with his very life.

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Aetren prowled his hidden stronghold with the air of a caged lion. He wanted nothing more than to have the Phoenix Childe at his mercy but the blasted weather was preventing him from doing so. Only a complete fool would make any kind of move while winter held the land in it's grip. Very few of his soldiers, creatures or constructs could tolerate the cold and illness was also more prevalent in winter than at other times. He would wait. He had set his trap, baited it and now all he had to do was wait for his adversary to fall into it. The plan was foolproof and all the pieces were in place but it would now likely be spring before it could come to fruition. He hated the waiting.

His enemy would be using this time to grow stronger and to train, Aetren knew. He could feel the pulse of the Phoenix Childe's magic, blinding white and searing hot, almost as if it were alive and the shadow of the 'Chosen One' seemed to follow his every move. But there was nothing the young Light wizard could do to stop the plan that had already been set in motions months before. He knew the young Gryffindor heir had no real idea of what he was doing or of what exactly his plans entailed. Though they could feel each other's magic and somewhat of the emotions of the other, they could not read each other's minds or even see what the other was doing. Of this he was certain and this would be the downfall of the Phoenix Childe.

The boy was a threat to his plans for domination since he had refused the invitation to join Aetren's ranks. He would have to die but not before Aetren had reduced him to the state of a base animal, not until he'd witnessed his world destroyed by his own actions. The boy would beg for death before the end and Aetren would make sure his death was prolonged and agonizing. His power would thus be proven before all who still doubted it. The Phoenix Childe would die a very public and humiliating death, the forces of light would lose all hope and his path would be clear at last.

Aetren withdrew a potion phial from his robes and studied the black potion within it for several moments, a twisted grin on his face. The phial was half full and the potion within it shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. His plan would begin with this. He chuckled and stowed the potion phial in his robes once more. The boy was, as yet, unaware that he was the carrier of the poison and disease that would systematically destroy everything and everyone around him. He was about to strike a killing blow to the forces of Light and they would never even see it coming until it was too late. He chuckled softly and seemingly disappeared into the mist around him leaving the room empty.

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Harry was sitting in the library, a large book bound in red leather in his lap and a look of intense concentration on his face. The spells within the book he was reading were the most complex ones he'd ever seen before and they required all of his concentration to memorize, as for once his mind refused to simply absorb them as it had other information before. As his eyes roved over the pages, his left hand played idly with the necklace that he normally kept hidden under his robes. His fingers traced the Gryffindor crest unconsciously as Harry read and Harry was so absorbed in his reading that he never noticed the amulet's golden glow.

Harry had not thought about the spellbook Dumbledore had given him just before he left until last night after he was drifting off to sleep. When he woke up in the middle of the night because of one of his usual nightmares he'd fished it out of his trunk, his curiousity having gotten the better of him. He'd been surprised to see familar handwriting appear in the book's pages but then he vaguely recalled Dumbledore telling him that the spellbook had once belonged to Godric Gryffindor. He'd been almost unable to put it down since he'd opened it.

There were thousands of spells written in an elegant script within the books pages as well as lists of magical animals and plants and their properties, potions and antidotes of every kind and strategies concerning almost every conceivable circumstance that could come up in a battlefield situation. There were even instructions on proper wizarding dueling that caused Harry to smile at the memory of the Dueling Club that had occurred in his second year.

His eyes roamed over the page that lay open before him and his fingers moved down it while his mouth moved without his realizing it was doing so, silently repeating words and certain phrases trying to commit the complex spells to memory. His hand was making the motions for the spells unconsciously and his world had narrowed to the words on the page. The passage of time went unnoticed by him and he hadn't even noticed that he'd missed dinner until he heard someone clear their throat nearby, which caused him to jump and his book fell to the floor at his feet with a dull thud.

Selene stood in the doorway of the library giggling at him and he felt his face redden a little in embarrassment. A younger girl stood at her left hand and she was giggling too even as she tried to hide behind Selene's voluminous blue skirts.

"Uh...um...Hello," Harry stammered as he bent to retrieve his fallen book.

Selene giggled more and Harry rose with as much dignity as he could muster, running a hand through his unruly hair. The two girls' mirth was infectious and Harry found himself laughing a little himself.

"I take it you were looking for me?" Harry asked as he straightened his glasses.

"Everyone was worried when you never came to dinner. Your friends in particular seemed to be in a panic."

Harry winced, knowing the exact reason for their panic. The last time he had not been where he was supposed to be they'd found him unconscious in the safe house basement where a flashback had gripped him. They also worried constantly for his safety but he had long ago grown used to it. Even as he knew this however he also knew he was in for a tongue lashing when next he saw the three of them.

"I'm not surprised really. I've had guards around me since I was a baby and with everything that has happened...," he let his voice trail off for a moment. "Anyway I'm used to it."

Selene merely nodded in understanding while the young girl, whose name was Anna Lamont, continued to try and hide from Harry despite his attempts to coax her out with funny faces and a small stream of sparks from his wand.

"You had better go up to the Hall before Lord Snape curses someone," Harry nodded and was gone in a flurry of robes.

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To say that Snape was angry was an understatement. He was livid when Harry entered the room.

"Where have you been? We've searched everywhere for you!" Snape's voice was dangerously soft and his face was extremely pale. His dark eyes glinted dangerously and they pinned Harry where he stood framed in the doorway.

"Obviously no one thought to check the library," said Harry calmly, refusing to raise to the bait.

"Do you have any idea...," Snape began but Harry cut him off.

"Yes, I know how important I am. I'm fully aware of the tasks and duties that have been given me, Severus. I don't need to be reminded of them every ten seconds, sir," Harry spoke through clenched teeth, tired of the litany. He could never forget his importance to the Light. The reminder was forever imprinted on his forehead and echoed on his left forearm.

Snape looked at him a moment, not failing to notice the bitterness in his charge's voice and eyes. He sighed inwardly as he tried to still his anger. To tell the truth he was more angry at himself than Harry since he hadn't even considered checking the library. It had never occurred to him that Harry might have gone there.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I was just worried about you," Snape looked into Harry's eyes and saw a flash of sympathy there.

"It's fine," Harry waved off the apology with a wane smile. "I'm used to it, Severus. Or at least I should be by now."

It was then that Harry noticed Draco and Dudley in a corner of the room with a third man and he frowned as a wave of dizziness almost overwhelmed him. Looking closer he saw Dark magic hovering around the man and his eyes narrowed. Frowning he looked back at Snape.

Snape's eyes had followed Harry's and he nodded at the boy, "He's the reason we've been looking for you. We found him wandering around the manor asking for the 'Phoenix Childe'."

Harry strode across the room to get a closer look at the man, noticing that he was twitching slightly and that his eyes were rolled up inside his head so that only the misty whites of them were showing. His face was a pasty white and dirt clung to his face and clothes. As moved closer Harry noticed a powerful stench coming from the man and a shiver ran up his spine as his brain registered the smell and what it meant. He drew his wand and held it out in front of him in a guard position. His eyes were wide and slightly terrified as he stared down at the the Inferius in front of him. The last time he had seen one had been in Voldemort's dungeon. One of them had been responsible for one of the worst rounds of torture he'd ever had to endure during his stay there. Memories began to creep up on Harry again and a pain ran up the twisted scar on his right arm. He shook his head to rid himself of them. He could not afford to have a flashback now.

The Inferius stopped twitching and his dead eyes fixed on Harry's. His mouth stretched into the ritcus of a grin and Harry could feel his heart pounding in his chest though he showed no fear. A wave of dizziness hit him again and the room seemed to whirl around him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to center himself and to push the memories that were flooding his mind away. _The Infurius' cold hands holding him down on a cold stone table. Voldemort's high, cold laughter ringing around the room. The Death Eaters chanting their evil spell. The smell of blood and worse in the air. Never ending pain moving over him. _Draco and Dudley moved to Harry's side as he seemed to sway on the spot as the memories held him for a moment in their grip. When the dizziness subsided again Harry opened his eyes to find the Inferius' own had not moved. He stared at Harry with hunger, his leering grin still in place. Harry swallowed convulsively.

"Phoenix Childe, Phoenix Childe," the man's hissing voice filled the room, causing Harry to shiver in remembered pain. "You shall die and everyone with you."

Harry watched in wide-eyed horror as the Inferius lurched to his feet and clamped a cold hand around Harry's left arm which burst with pain. Harry flailed and twitched as spasms of pain shot up his arm trying to break the Inferius' vice-like grip but to no avail. He heard rather than saw Draco and Snape drawing their wands and Dudley preparing a blast from his mind. The Inferius pulled Harry toward him, trapping Harry's gaze with his own dead one. Harry struggled for a few moments more but the Infurius' grip only became stronger. A wave of dizziness stronger than any other hit him then and a feeling like an electric shock moved through him. For a moment his body convulsed in intense agony and then everything stopped though the dizziness remained. Harry fell to the floor in a boneless heap, his eyes blank and staring. Cold laughter filled the room for a moment then the Inferius fell to the floor in a shower of dust having performed the duty it had been given by it's master.


	13. Dreamscapes

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

By A.S. Gryffindor

**Author's note: **Sorry for the lack of updates on this. I've been really busy with real life. Anyway here is the new chapter I promised months again. Enjoy.

**Chapter 13: Dreamscapes**

_"Dark Wings they are descending/See the shadows gathering round"_

_Within Temptation-Dark Wings_

_"You can't escape me for long," a cold voice drifted across Harry's consciousness. His head was pulsing in time with his frantic heartbeat. Fear thrummed in the air around him._

_Harry's eyes flicked open and he saw nothing but white fog around him. His head hurt horribly, the pain radiating in waves from his scar to the top of his head and back again. He grimaced and rubbed his scar a little in an unconscious reaction to the pain in his head that seemed to be splitting it in two. Sitting up slowly and carefully, he became aware of a chill that had seeped into his bones, making his muscles stiff and initially unresponsive. _

_"I will destroy you and everything you hold dear," the cold voice continued as the fog parted to reveal a man only a little older then Harry was._

_Harry studied the man before him a few moments, watching the pulse of Dark magic move around the shadowy figure as he rose to his own feet. His head throbbed more with each pulse of the man's power but he stood his ground without flinching at the pain and without giving into the dizziness that almost overwhelmed him._

_"Aetren," the man acknowledged the name with a small inclination of his head. "I will not allow you to harm those under my protection."_

_Aetren's cold laughter filled the void and echoed horribly in Harry's ears. Harry's eyes narrowed and he could feel his magic stir within him, an echo to Aetren's. The dark wizard paced toward him through the white fog almost as if he were floating instead of walking. He stopped merely a few feet from Harry and grinned maliciously down at him. "You cannot hope to stop me. Your power is but a small trickle compared to mine."_

_Harry said nothing in response. He merely watched the Dark signature around Aetren as it pulsed and flowed around the dark wizard. He could feel his own magic answering in a glowing, warm wave that swirled around him giving him courage and stilling the fear in his heart. He could see the light of it reflected in the young Dark Lord's eyes and he knew Aetren was lying. They were almost equal in power. Harry smiled and even though his head was throbbing with agony he remained visibly unaffected by the pain of being so close to his enemy's dark power._

_"We will see whether or not that is true," Harry's voice was calm, giving no indication of what he was feeling._

_Aetren's cool eyes studied Harry a moment trying to figure out whether or not his adversary was afraid of him. Harry stared into those cold, merciless eyes with a serene, unruffled look in his eyes very reminiscent of Dumbledore. Aetren could not see anything within them that hinted at anything other than that calm serenity. It was then that Aetren knew with certainty that he would never be able to read his foe as he had with others in the past. He had expected to be able to do so easily since their magic resonated so closely and strongly but that did not seem to be the case. He would never be able to fully control the Phoenix Childe even were he to get the boy in his power. This thought chilled him and he suddenly realised that Harry was a dangerous foe. A potential very dangerous foe. He would have to die and soon if Aetren's plans were to come to fruition._

_Harry sensed his frustration but said nothing, not wanting Aetren to be aware of the fact. It wasn't so much that there was any real connection between them, not on the level he shared with Voldemort because of the scar at any rate, it was more a case of Harry being more aware of the young Dark Lord than others because of their resonating magics. Harry had deliberately given him nothing to read and it was clear to Harry, since Aetren had made no attempt to assault his mind, that his foe had little or no use for the power of Legilimancy. Harry felt relief wash over him at this realization for it meant that there would be no mental attacks from his current foe and no attempts to rip information from him by that means although it was clear to Harry that Aetren had other mental powers that he must be wary of. Aetren was not a foe to be taken lightly and so he would not._

_The mist continued to move around them though neither of them seemed to notice this fact. How much time passed as they stared at each other, Harry was not sure but it seemed that it's passage was irrelevant in this dreamscape._

_"You cannot win," Harry's voice was calm and certain._

_Aetren's blood red eyes blazed in fury, "We shall see, fool. When all you hold dear lays dead at your feet, you will wish you had died as well, but I shall not let you die. The destruction has already begun but no one sees it and by the time they do it will be to late. Spring tide will come and with it my armies will rise. But first you will suffer for you insolence."_

_The misty air around Harry shifted, briefly hiding Aetren from his sight. Harry shivered in the sudden chill, his eyes scanning the area for Aetren. A cold wind whipped his hair and robes in all directions for a moment. Harry pushed his hair out his eyes still looking for Aetren but he was nowhere to be seen. Harry felt a pressure on his back, like someone was watching him, a second before he felt a shift in the magic around him._

_He jumped to the side, landing heavily on his back as he watched a black spell zoom overhead. He had no idea what spell it was but he wasn't about to stick around to find out either. He need to find the way out of this dream, vision or whatever it was and he needed to do so now. Desperately he searched for a way out while he kept trying to force his mind to wake up. He could hear footsteps coming closer and heard Aetren's laughter as it echoed in the emptiness around him._

_Still looking for a way out of this nightmare, his eyes found those of Aetren and he froze. Aetren's red eyes bore into Harry's and Harry's world burst with pain so intense that it made any other pain he's ever experienced seem like a minor annoyance. For a brief instant Harry saw Aetren's mouth twist into a sneer but then everything around him receded into darkness and pain._

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Helga placed another cool cloth on Harry's forehead in an effort to bring down the dangerously high fever that ravaged through his body. The boy's pale, sweaty face was flushed with it even as he shivered under the pile of blankets they had conjured over him. His thin face was contorted with pain and he would occasionally moan as if in agony, his entire body twitching beneath the blankets. This was followed by long periods of complete stillness that seemed to mimic death though it was clear that Harry still lived; his breathing would become extremely shallow and his heart beat only faintly.

Helga had never seen anything like this fever before and she'd made a point of being aware of nearly every illness known to wizard and muggle kind. Harry symptoms matched none of them, which meant it was something either entirely new or a magically constructed illness sent by their enemies. Both of these prospects worried Helga because it meant she had no clear idea of how to treat Harry or of whether or not any treatment she might try could be dangerous. She was loath to leave him in this state since he was obviously in a great deal of pain but she was afraid to even try anything at all until she could bring Harry's fever down a fraction. Helga continued to bath Harry's face and murmured soothing words to him, trying to get him to relax a little so she could examine him more closely. Maybe there was something she had missed, some clue she could find that would unlock the mystery of this fever.

When he finally settled back down again she lifted the blankets and studied the strange burning rash that covered parts of his chest and arms. The rash was a deep, dark red with tiny black lines running through it and it gave off a heat she could feel without touching it. It was also glowing faintly. Helga noticed that the rash seemed to have spread farther than the last time she had looked and that it radiated from the center of his chest outward

She quickly covered the shivering boy again, deep in thought. Harry moved in his sleep, tossing and turning upon the bed as if seeking a comfortable position but could find none. Helga was so deep in thought that did not notice this nor did she notice when the door was opened and then softly closed.

"Still no change?" Helga jumped at the sound of Rowena's soft voice.

"None. I'm not even sure what this illness is or how to treat it. It's not normal."

Rowena knew it had cost Helga a lot to admit to the fact that she hadn't a clue of what to do. She put a comforting arm around the slightly younger woman and felt Helga lean briefly into the comfort being offered.

"I shall watch over him for the moment. You need to rest."

Helga started to protest but Rowena was firm and she finally acquiesced.

"If anything changes, call for me," she rose and brushed out the winkles in her long skirts before giving Rowena a pleading look.

"Of course, " Rowena watched her friend leave the room before resuming the bathing of Harry's flushed face, wondering if the young man would ever waken again.

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_The pain and darkness receded and Harry found himself standing the ruins of the Great Hall at Hogwarts; the Hogwarts of his own time. His eyes took in the death and destruction around him for a mere second before cold, mocking laughter filled the Hall behind him. Harry whipped around with his wand drawn and saw Voldemort's pale face and gleaming red eyes looking down at him from the golden throne-like chair Dumbledore usually occupied._

_"How good of you to join me at last, my pet," The words were mocking and Harry grimaced but said nothing in reply. "Come to me, my pet."_

_The words were a magical command but the magical pull he had once felt was gone. The curse Voldemort had placed on him had been broken though the Dark wizard didn't know that. Harry didn't move a muscle and instead stared into the red eyes that had haunted his nightmares for years before he even knew what they meant or who they belonged to. _

_"I said COME HERE SLAVE!" Voldemort's tone was angry and his hand twitched toward a pocket of his robes where his yew wand rested. _

_"You no longer have power over me, Tom. Your curse had been broken and my mind and soul are my own again," once again Harry found himself strangely calm. _

_Voldemort smiled and rose from his throne in a fluid motion. "Oh, but there is where you are mistaken, Potter. I have all the control I need. I have won and it is all thanks to to you._

_Fear entered Harry's heart and his calm state was broken but he said nothing for a moment, watching as Voldemort moved through the rubble of the destroyed room until he stood just in front of Harry. His red eyes gleamed and an evil smirk crossed his features as he began to walk around Harry. Harry shivered as memories of his captivity surfaced. He felt very like a trapped animal but a trapped animal could be dangerous and Voldemort didn't seem to have thought of that._

_"While you were in hiding wherever that Muggle loving fool sent you, I attacked and destroyed Hogwarts. The wizarding world is under my complete control now. Everyone and everything you once held so close to you heart is gone and it's your fault. You abandoned them in their hour of need. You betrayed those who held you in such faith."_

_Voldemort's words echoed around in Harry's mind calling up horribly realistic visions of death and destruction. Voldemort laughed as he watched Harry's face drain of all color and his body start to tremble. Harry could hear the beating of his heart loud in his ears as the words that Voldemort spoke continued their relentless attack on his mind._

_"No," his voice sounded weak and lost._

_"Yes. Everyone you once hoped to protect, everyone you loved, are dead by my own hand. They died screaming your name, hoping you would save them one last time. You failed them, Potter and they died knowing of your failure."_

_Rage such as he had never know rose within Harry and his magic crackled to life around him in response to his fury. He looked up at Voldemort with eyes that glowed an eerie green in the twilight ruins. _

_"I swear on my magic that you shall die," Harry snarled the words through clenched teeth and he raised his left hand, which was white hot with the power it contained, preparing to strike down Voldemort and end this forever._

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Harry's fever had risen to dangerous levels in the last two hours and Rowena found herself conjuring ice around the young man in an effort to bring to the fever back down again. Harry was shivering underneath the blankets even as sweat poured down his flushed face. He'd also started to mumble in his fevered sleep as he tossed and turned on the bed. None of what he said made sense to Rowena but she tried to sooth him with calm and gentle words so that she could feed him a potion that Snape had made to counteract the fever.

Rowena sighed and pulled her shawl closer to her body with a shiver as soon as she managed to spell the potion into Harry. Harry's room was being kept cold in the hope of reigning in his high fever though it had thus far failed to work.

"How is he?" Salazar's voice was soft but hearing words spoken by a different voice than Harry or her own caused Rowena to jump and drop the cup of tea she was holding.

"His fever continues to rise..." she left the implications of that unsaid knowing that Salazar would finish the sentence in his head.

Salazar sat down on the other side of Harry's bed and stared down at the young man who was their greatest hope of ending this long war. If Harry were to die now where would that leave them? Salazar being the tactician he was knew that they could not win as they were now. The forces of Light had lost many in the recent battles against Aetren's superior forces. They could harass his lines, cut off his supplies, assassinate his most trusted officers or members of his inner circle but there were always more to take their place. The plain fact was that Aetren had more wizards, witches and creatures on his side than they had on their's. Both Salazar and Godric knew this and so to did Aetren. Salazar could see no hope of victory at all if Harry were to die here and now.

Salazar looked down at the shivering boy before him, watching as the boy's lifebreath grew shallower and shallower as he headed into the Still Time that this fever caused. He held his head in his hands and shook it wearily as he listened to the barely perceptible breathing of the one who was supposed to balance the odds, the leader who was supposed to unify their scattered armies.

"We need you, Harry."

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_There was a brilliant flash of light and Harry found himself standing on a wild moor listening to the wind wuthering through the gorse and brambles. The sky was awash with pink, red and gold light in the east. It was minutes until sunrise, the very hour Aetren had called for their surrender. Harry could feel the tension in the air but he seemed to be unaffected by it as that strange calmness surfaced once again._

_Dudley and Draco were standing on either side of him conversing in low tones as the sun continued to climb in the eastern sky. Behind him he could hear the rustle of clothing, the movement of people and horses and the snapping of pennants and flags. Without looking back he knew that the whole Army of Light was behind him awaiting his command. A command he would not be giving for he intended to save them all. He would not risk any more of their lives for his own. He knew he had to do this alone. He would finish this once and for all._

_Across the moor he could just make out the slender figure of Aetren surrounded by his generals and members of his inner circle. Beyond him lay a black smudge that was his army standing poised to attack them as soon as they surrendered, though mist shrouded them periodically from his sight. He lifted a hand to shade his eyes to see through the early morning light, his mind counting off the minutes until full sunrise._

_"You cannot do this, Harry. If you lose..." Dudley's voice was filled with fear touched concern. _

_"I will do what I must. This war must end here and now before anyone else is hurt," Harry looked over at Dudley, a soft smile playing about his mouth. "You know I must do this, Dudders. There's no other choice."_

_Dudley shook his head while Draco studied the enemy lines, a small frown on his face. "He could cut you off from the army, capture you."_

_"I know but if it saves lives then I'll risk it. No one else need be hurt." A small shiver crawled up his spine at the thought of being captive again and he rubbed at the lightening scar on his right arm._

_"How can you be so calm about this?" Dudley's voice had an edge to it now. "Your talking about risking your life again, mate. What about the rest of us? What about the army you swore to lead? What about those waiting for you back home?"_

_Briefly Harry allowed himself to think of those he had left in his own time. He had been forced to leave them all behind to protect them. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Dumbledore....and Ginny. They were all awaiting his return from his self imposed exile. The modern wizarding world was awaiting the return of it's "Chosen One". Could he really afford to take this risk now when there were so many depending on him? What would happen to them if he died here?_

_"They will still fight whether I'm alive or not. It doesn't matter who leads now." Dudley made a huffing noise and Harry looked at him sharply, his eyes hard and determined. "It. Will. Not. Matter."_

_"But you..." Dudley's face was pale and his eyes searched Harry's face. Dudley understood what Harry represented to those back home and couldn't believe that his cousin would risk his life in such a way. Harry's eyes softened and he gave his cousin a brief smile._

_"Look, I need to do this. I'm not sure why but I need to do this. It feels like the right thing to do and I promise you that I am not trying to get myself killed."_

_"People saving thing," Draco muttered without rancour and Dudley stifled a chuckle._

_Harry turned to the two of them, his eyes serious. "You will lead them in my place."_

_They both nodded and watched as Harry walked away from them, away from the army and toward his predestined duel with Aetren. _

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None of the potions they had tried managed anything in the way of relief for Harry, who'd grown weaker and weaker as days turned to weeks. The fever that had ravaged his body had finally broken a week before and the rash had begun to heal but Harry had not woken. His breathing had been making a horrible rattling sound in his chest for about a week now, a sure sign that there was fluid in his lungs. His body, severly weakened by the fever as it was, was unable to deal with another infection and his body's innate healing that all wizards and witches possessed had been drained by the fever. Now he lay in bed unmoving, his breathing so shallow that a person had to hold a mirror to his mouth to even detect that he breathed at all.

Snape sat at his bedside, his sallow skin a shade or two sallower and his eyes surrounded by smudges of darkness. During the entire month of Harry's illness he'd hardly slept a wink. He'd been to busy attempting to find a potion that would cure the young wizard of the poisoned fever the inferi had passed to him. Now it seemed all of their combined efforts were in vain. Helga didn't believe that Harry would last the night.

Snape looked down at the sunken features of the young man before him and had to agree. Snape shook his head and wondered what Dumbledore would do in a situation like this. His old mentor would probably have had an answer ready and Harry would be well on his way to recovery by now. Instead he appeared to be dying and with his death all hope would also die. There was nothing they could do.

"Think, Sev. Think. There has to be something that you've overlooked. Some important detail that you've forgotten," he was grasping at straws and he knew it but he was desperate. He had to save Harry somehow. He had to. "Come on....something....anything. Please, Great Merlin help us."

But no idea was forthcoming. There was nothing left to try. Snape clenched his head in his hands and pulled at his hair. He had failed everyone: Lily, Harry, Albus...all of them. It was hopeless. He looked down at Harry's still form, saw it give a last shuddering breath and then it went completely still. And in that moment everything became clear to Snape and the thing that had been hidden from his sight was revealed at last in a brillant flash of intuition. He knew exactly was needed to be done to save Harry. With that thought he raised his wand and uttered the spell that he hoped would save them all.


	14. Darkness and Light

_**Ascending Darkness/Faltering Light**_

By AlbusSeverusGryffindor

Author's Note: Once again real life has gotten in the way but I'm back with an another update finally. Hopefully some of you are still with me.

_**Chapter 14: Darkness and Light**_

_"When the Dark comes rising..." The Dark is Rising- Susan Cooper_

_"The Dark Lord will rise again...greater and more terrible than ever he was." Sybil Trelawney- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Pg.324_

"He still lives," the woman's weak, raspy voice sounded loud in the stillness of Aetren's chambers

The young Dark Lord glared at the woman who knelt on the floor before him wanting very much to slay her for her words but he knew he could not. She was one of the few truly gifted seers skilled in the ancient art of scrying and he needed her skills now that all passes into the town where the Phoenix Childe resided were blocked by the winter's snows making travel nearly impossible and very dangerous.

"The Infernus Touch should have killed him outright. The poison should have reacted immediately upon contact with the boy's skin and there is no known antidote. What happened, Mauve? Tell me what you have seen," he demanded, angered that the boy had once again escaped his trap.

Mauve rose smoothly from the ground at Aetren's feet and paced toward him with a silent grace. Her hood fell back revealing long, white blonde hair, pale white skin, and milky white eyes in a young face. She moved unerringly toward a chair near the fire and sat with a regal grace, seeming to stare into the flickering flames though she could not see the fire that burned there. Aetren sat down across from her and waited, knowing it would do no good to rush Mauve. She would only get angry and refuse to tell him anything at all as was her right as a Seer.

"He is well protected, my lord. Many spells and enchantments have been placed over him," she turned her sightless eyes on him. "Ancient magics set in place to guard his life. He is stronger than we first thought. Your poison worked it's way through his system as you planned but it was not strong enough to both break these protective enchantments and kill him. The poison, though deadly, was only ever at half-strength from the time it entered his body."

Aetren's fist slammed down on the arm of the chair but Mauve didn't even flinch at the sound. She remained still and stared up at the Dark Lord with her milky eyes waiting.

"The boy stands in my way, Mauve. I cannot proceed without first slaying him and claiming his vast powers. That is what the vision I had meant, according to you."

Mauve nodded. "It is as I have predicted, my lord. He must die in order for you to be victorious over our he allowed to live he would destroy you and your armies with his Light."

"You may go," Aetren growled at her and she departed without another word or even a sound.

Aetren rose from his chair and began to pace. This young man was more powerful then he'd believed despite the warnings of his most trusted men who had first seen the Phoenix Childe's powers in action at the gate months before. How could he had been so mistaken?

_"He is well protected..."_ Mauve had said. The question was why?

Aetren paced the room deep in thought. If the Phoenix Childe was so well protected then he must have another enemy somewhere. That was the only reason, in his own experience, one had strong protective enchantments placed over them. Aetren was skilled at breaking such enchantments but he was hampered by the weather and by distance. He would either have to go there himself in disguise or use the Shadow Soul spell, which required massive amounts of power to fuel and left him weakened and vunerable after it's use. The last time he had used it he'd felt weak and was unable to do much more than light a candle with his powers for almost a full week. He couldn't afford to use it again so soon, there was a traitor in their midst who might use such an opportunity to try and kill him.

No, breaking the protections over the Phoenix Childe would have to wait. In the meantime Aetren had other players on the field and maybe one of them would be powerful enough to bring about his enemy's death. He would even reward them with a place of honor at his side though he would keep a close eye on them. Anyone that powerful could become a danger to him. Failing that maybe the enemy of the Phoenix Childe could be coerced into aiding him if he could be located and converted to Aetren's way of thinking.

Aetren pulled out the Death Skull amulet that he wore around his neck and pricked his finger so that drop of his blood fell onto it's silvery surface. At once a shadowy figure appeared in the room and the temperature seemed to fall.

"What is your command, my lord," the figure voice sounded as if it was coming from inside a well.

"Sandar, I require your services as we discussed before."

The shadowy figure of a man flickered briefly. "Is the target the same?"

"Yes, it is. He must seem to die either by accident or naturally. The other await your instruction."

"As you will it, my lord, so it shall be done," Sandar bowed and his shadowy figure flicked out.

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Cygnus sat by Harry's bedside and watched his friend's slow, rhythmic breathing. His normally jovial face was marred by a frown and his eyes were dull and red from crying. His hair was mussed, as if he had just awakened and there was deep purple shadows under his eyes. He hadn't slept well since the attack on Harry and had volunteered for the duty of helping watch over him when it became known he would make a full recovery. The Founders, Snape and Harry's other friends had agreed to allow him to do so when they saw the state the young man was in. It would do him good, it was thought, to see that his friend was on his way to recovering from the attack and curse.

Harry muttered something under his breathe that sounded like a girl's name and then slipped into a deeper sleep.

"You certainly know how to find trouble, my friend," Cygnus smiled faintly and rose to look out the window.

A faint sliver of light came from the moon, which was waxing but he could make out the manor wall and the forest beyond with little trouble. There was a fresh blanket of snow on the ground that had fallen only that morning, which the groundskeeper had yet to clear a path through. Cygnus pressed a hand to the glass and felt the coldness from outside seep into his hand, chilling it with a coldness similar to that which lived in his heart. Harry was his friend and yet...yet the entirety of Cygnus's life was a couldn't make up his mind which was the true him...

"What troubles you so, child?" Helga's voice floated to him from across the room.

"It's not fair," Cygnus knew he sounded like a petulant child but he couldn't help it. Here he was wanting to be Harry's friend but if his father should learn of it... Then there was the family secret he must never reveal to any on pain of instant death.

Helga, thinking he was referring to all that had happened to Harry, nodded. "I quite agree."

Cygnus turned to face her, trying to calm his racing heart. He was sure she knew nothing of his family or his past but he couldn't very well say anything to her here and now. He merely nodded at her and walked back to the chair he had vacated a moment before.

Helga moved to Harry's bedside and began to run several diagnostic spells over him. After several moments of silence, during which Cygnus studied Harry's pale face, Helga gave a nod and smiled down at him. "It appears that Harry will awaken soon."

Cygnus looked from Harry's still face to Helga's smiling one and found that a grin was pulling at his mouth. Despite the fears in his heart and the expectations of his parents he found that he was glad that Harry had, once again, managed to survive what should have killed him.

"Thank Merlin," he said with such heartfelt relief that Helga's smile widened. She was worried for Cygnus. Most of his family were in the pay of Aetren and those that weren't were nearly as bad for standing by and doing nothing. Helga wondered which side Cygnus would be on when it came time to chose.

"The fates have not been kind to young Harry but he has a strong will," Helga rose and began to leave but she turned at the door to look at them both. "I don't know where Harry's destiny will take him but I do know that you too have a part to play. For good or ill I do not know but only you can make that choice. Think long and hard on your choices, young Cygnus for there is so much riding on your decision. The fate of the world rests with you."

Cygnus's mouth fell open and he stared at Helga as she left. Clearly his past was not hidden from his Head of House as he'd thought.

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Harry awoke suddenly out of deep, dreamless sleep. He stared at the dark ceiling of the room he was in and tried to remember how he had gotten there. His mind was a jumble of fuzzy images, none of which stood still long enough to be examined. His head felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton and his mouth was as dry as the air that hung in one of the greenhouse of the Hogwarts of his time, the one that contained magical plants that needed very little moisture to survive.

He blinked at the ceiling and watched the moonlight move across it. The room was completely still and silent, the only sound was the wind howling outside. Harry's eyes wandered toward the window and he saw the darkness of full night. It had to be quite late if everything was so quiet.

_"What happened? Where am I?" _he thought and he jumped when a voice in his mind replied though there appeared to be no one in the room with him.

_"In your room at Hogwarts," _the voice was warm and felt comforting. _"You should try and go back to sleep. Your body is tired and you've been deathly ill."_

Harry frowned. He didn't remember being sick at all. The last thing he remembered was being in Gryffindor's office with the others and then waking up here. How much time had passed he wondered and how had he fallen ill?

He heard the flapping of wings and a shadow detached itself from the foot of his bed to land on his chest. Sothis, the phoenix studied Harry's pale face a moment, making soft clicking noises as he did so. He noticed the slightly dazed look in his young charge's eyes and felt a little concern for him. He began to preen a bit of hair that lay across the young wizard's face and Harry reached out a hand to smooth the feathers on the phoenix's back, watching a small shower of sparks drift from the feathers to the blanket without damaging it.

_"You were cursed by an Inferi. It's touch poisoned your body and spirit. You are extremely lucky to be alive. Had not Severus figured out what to do in time you would have died. As it was you came within an inch of death."_

"I don't remember any of it. Nothing," Harry frowned.

_"It's not important now. What's important is that he was able to pull you back out of Death's grip again," _Sothis had stopped preening Harry's hair and was looking deep into his eyes. _"You should rest. The others will be here in the morning to make sure the healing is progressing correctly. I shall guard you tonight."_

Harry nodded and rolled over on his side as soon as Sothis had flown back to his perch at the end of the bed. The phoenix was right, what he needed most now was sleep. All else could wait.

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Harry awoke several hours later to find his room full of bright sunlight and to the sound of the church bell down in the village. The room had grown chill despite the sun's light streaming into it and it was this that had awakened him. He lay there shivering under his blankets for several moments, waiting to see if anyone would come and stir up the fire. When no one did he sighed and sat up slowly, grimacing as he was attacked by a wave of dizziness and nausea. He closed his eyes until it passed and put on the thick dressing gown that lay across the foot of his bed.

With equal care and slowness he got out of bed, clasping one of the posts as another wave of dizziness hit him. When this one had passed he made his way carefully to a chair near the fireplace. Sitting down he stared at the dying embers that flickered feebly in the grate, willing them to burn a little brighter and had the satisfaction of seeing them do just that. He levitated some wood into the fireplace and watched it catch. Soon he had a merry blaze burning there and the room began to warm up slowly by degrees until Harry was no longer shivering.

He sat drowsing in the warmth that had enfolded him like a blanket, his mind completely blank and relaxed. Suddenly a cold wind swept across his soul even though he remained surrounded by warmth and hard upon this feeling came a vision.

He was standing in a passageway made of polished white stone lit by torches that flickered in a cold draft. Harry shivered and drew his heavy cloak more tightly around him to stave off the chill made deeper by the whiteness of the walls around him. Everything around him was silent except for the sound of his footfalls as he moved forward down the tunnel. There was something he needed to see here, something was calling to him in a voice that he could no longer ignore. He followed the _ sound _that he _heard_ feeling the magical call pulling him along and he felt unable to resist it.

Suddenly the smoothly polished white walls vanished and he found himself in a roughly hewn cave. He could still _hear_ the _sound_ that he'd been following before so he continued to move forward. The walls became somewhat smoother a few feet in and soon an archway appeared before him. He knew the object that was calling to him was close, maybe even just beyond the archway. He felt his heart race and could feel the magic inside of him responding to whatever it was in the room beyond.

He passed under the archway and entered a room so vast that he could not see the ceiling. The roughly hewn room was lit by torches that blazed into being the moment he entered but the room itself was empty except for some faintly glowing shapes on the farthest wall from where he stood and a slender object that was suspended in midair before them. He moved closer and he could see silver runes that blazed with light on the wall behind a beautifully carved wand that was suspended in midair in front of them. The wand was what was calling him and he felt his magic respond to it in much the same way it had to the phoenix and holly wand he currently carried. He moved closer still and found that he could read the glowing runes without trouble though he'd only just begun lessons in the ancient language.

_**The Wand of Light awaits it's true master**_

_**The 'Chosen One', the 'One Who Lives'**_

_**Phoenix slain and reborn in endless cycle**_

_**Heir of Ancient Powers Unknown**_

_**Darkness will be dispelled by Heir of Light**_

The words burned into his mind and a sound broke the trance he was in. He turned toward the sound, his hand outstretched and power wreathing it in magical flames.

"Whoa there Harry. It's just Dud."

Harry blinked slowly and the flames that had surrounded his hand in their glow disappeared. The words he had read on the stone wall in his vision and that he had thought were branded into his mind forever faded as well leaving behind only a faint memory of the vision and the words _Wand of Light_ in his mind.

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Helga finished examining Harry marvelling at the young man's ability to sit calmly during it. Never in all her years as a healer had she seen a young man who would sit still during a medical treatment or exam. Most were impatient louts who only wanted to be healed quickly so they could get back to whatever they'd been doing to get themselves injured to begin with and the rest were babies about the entire process from exam to taking their potions. Harry was neither, though she knew the _Harry _she'd come to know was not the same one his companions had known in the past.

Severus often said that Harry had been changed as a result of his captivity and would bare the scars of what he'd suffered at the hands of his captor for the rest of his life. Helga believed him though Harry was to all appearances a strong willed young man and had very likely been so for all of his life.

"Everything looks fine but you'll need to rest for the next few days and continue taking the potions for a few weeks after."

Harry made a face but nodded to her before sitting up in bed and beginning to eat the lunch she'd brought him. She noticed he ate with a good appetite, which told her more about how he was doing then a dozen magical scans could.

"Your cousin and your other friends have been asking to see you."

"Okay," he said in his oddly soft voice as he fed a piece of fruit to Sothis who made a soft chirping noise.

Helga watched him pet the phoenix with his left hand, a faraway look in his eyes. She wondered what he was thinking when he looked like that but she knew better than to ask. There were some things better left alone, especially when it came to boys and doubly so if the boy in question happened to be Harry. He'd seen and done far more than most people his age and that tended to make one forget that he was still only 16 summers old and not yet a fully qualified wizard for all that his powers had already matured before his arrival here. Harry continued to pet the phoenix lost in his own thoughts. His sleeve shifted a little and Helga could see the beginnings of the horrible scar that he had on that arm, a gift from the ones that had held him captive for several months before a small band of his friends had managed to free him. Again she wondered how he had managed to survive the torture he'd been put through at their hands. She'd seen the other scars that covered his body and marveled again at his fortitude, at his strength of will. To have survive so much in such a short time...it was an amazing thing. But how much more could the boy take before he broke?

As she watch him she was reminded of Godric and his own imprisonment years before. He'd been almost broken by what was done to him by the minions of Aetren's that had taken him captive as he lay wounded on the battlefield and it had taken him months, years really, to come to terms with it. Yet, as with Harry, he had eventually moved on from it and had been known to remark that he had actually learned something about their foe as a result.

Helga sighed and found that Harry's deep green eyes were looking at her in a way that was similar to a look Godric sometime wore. He studied her for a moment then turned back to his marveled again at how much like Godric Harry was. It wasn't that the two looked anything alike, it was more that the two had the same serious, brooding expression and the some of the same mannerisms. It was as if the two were really the same age though decades separated them. She blinked in confusion then she set out the row of potions he would need to take that day on the bedside table next to the spellbook he'd been reading before his illness.

"Remember these need to be taken in the order they are on the table."

"Thank you, mistress," he said softly and he looked up at her with a wry grin. "I suppose it's time that my friends saw me so they know I'm fine. I just wish I wasn't so often in bed when friends come to call."

He sounded so forlorn that Helga gave him a quick hug, before clearing away the tray. "Not to worry, Harry. I am sure they will just be glad that you are alive and well again."

He shrugged and muttered something that sounded like '_should be used to it by now'_. Helga chuckled and left him to visits from his friends wondering where Cygnus had gotten off to and hoping he wasn't planning any mischief.

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The stone cottage stood at the very edge of Ravenclaw's manor very near the dark woods. In the past it had been home to the woodcutter and his family who had once served those in the manor but now it lay empty and neglected. Some said it was haunted by the spirit of that same woodcutter who had been found stone dead without a mark on him. He was found in the middle of the room that served as both the living and dining area and his pretty young wife was the one who had found him. She was never right in the head after and had thrown herself from the church steeple in grief not long after. The locals avoided the place as if it had a curse upon it that might rub off on them and the village children often dared one another to set foot inside it.

The dark, cloaked figure thought of these things as he waited for the contact his Master has told him to meet. He paced the room as he waited, for the room was cold enough to freeze fire or so it seemed to him. He shivered and wrapped the cloak more tightly around himself, while muttering an incantation that caused his body to begin to warm under it.

He continued to pace, waiting impatiently for the man to show up. He would need to get back soon before he was missed but he knew he could not anger his Master again by leaving before the contact arrived. He did not want to suffer through that torture again.

Finally, the sound of apparition caused the slightly distracted man to jump and to whirl around with his wand at the ready. A man in a blood red cloak smiled at the other in a way that told the first man how much he was enjoying his fear.

"Report," the red cloaked man said harshly.

"He has awakened and seems well," he began nervously. "They say he will be well enough to be out of bed in a few days."

The red cloaked man growled low in his throat. "What of the plan? The Dark Lord is anxious for it to come to fruition."

"Everything is in readiness, my lord. Though the target does not know it yet, he is already ensnared."

"Excellent. The Dark Lord will be pleased. I shall pass on the information to him by the usual means. Now we must go. You have your duties and I have mine."

The red cloaked figure turned on the spot and vanished as the second man bowed and left by the door, heading back to Hogwarts, an evil grin on his face.


End file.
